Inverness Invitational Four-Ball
Encyclopedia
The Inverness Invitational Four-Ball was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour
from 1935 to 1953. It was played at the Inverness Club
in Toledo, Ohio
.
style, based on their score versus the opposing team for that round. A team scored "+1" for each hole won and "-1" for each hole lost. The teams were shuffled after every round so that every team played one round against every other team. The team with the most points after seven rounds won.
In 1952, the field was six teams and they played over five rounds for a total of 90 holes.
In 1953, the format shifted to traditional 72-hole stroke play
with a field of 30 players.
The women's invitational replaced the men's event in 1954.
Inverness Invitational Four-Ball
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
from 1935 to 1953. It was played at the Inverness Club
Inverness Club
Inverness Club is a country club in Toledo, Ohio that is famous for its golf course . The golf course is so well known since it has hosted four U.S. Opens, two U.S. Senior Opens, two PGA Championships, and a U.S. Amateur...
in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
.
Format
The tournament featured an unusual team round robin format. From 1935 to 1951, the field consisted of eight two-man teams. They would play seven rounds totalling 126 holes in four-ball format. A team earned or lost points on each hole, in a match playMatch play
Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; this is as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes...
style, based on their score versus the opposing team for that round. A team scored "+1" for each hole won and "-1" for each hole lost. The teams were shuffled after every round so that every team played one round against every other team. The team with the most points after seven rounds won.
In 1952, the field was six teams and they played over five rounds for a total of 90 holes.
In 1953, the format shifted to traditional 72-hole stroke play
Stroke play
Stroke play, also known as medal play, is a scoring system in the sport of golf. It involves counting the total number of strokes taken on each hole during a given round, or series of rounds...
with a field of 30 players.
The women's invitational replaced the men's event in 1954.
Winners
Inverness Invitational- 1953 Jack Burke, Jr.
Inverness Invitational Four-Ball
- 1952 Jim FerrierJim FerrierJames B. Ferrier was an Australian professional golfer from Manly, New South Wales. He became an American citizen in 1944.-Early years:...
and Sam SneadSam SneadSamuel Jackson Snead was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the world for most of four decades. Snead won a record 82 PGA Tour events including seven majors. He failed to win a U.S... - 1951 Roberto DeVicenzoRoberto DeVicenzoRoberto De Vicenzo is a former professional golfer from Argentina. He won more than 230 tournaments worldwide in his career including eight on the PGA Tour and most famously the 1967 Open Championship.-Biography:...
and Henry Ransom - 1950 Jim FerrierJim FerrierJames B. Ferrier was an Australian professional golfer from Manly, New South Wales. He became an American citizen in 1944.-Early years:...
and Sam SneadSam SneadSamuel Jackson Snead was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the world for most of four decades. Snead won a record 82 PGA Tour events including seven majors. He failed to win a U.S... - 1949 Bob HamiltonBob HamiltonRobert T. "Bob" Hamilton was an American professional golfer. He was born and died in Evansville, Indiana....
and Chick Harbert - 1948 Jimmy DemaretJimmy DemaretJames Newton Demaret was an American professional golfer. He won 31 PGA Tour events in a long career between 1935 and 1957, and was the first three-time winner of the Masters....
and Ben HoganBen HoganWilliam Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game... - 1947 Jimmy DemaretJimmy DemaretJames Newton Demaret was an American professional golfer. He won 31 PGA Tour events in a long career between 1935 and 1957, and was the first three-time winner of the Masters....
and Ben HoganBen HoganWilliam Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game... - 1946 Jimmy DemaretJimmy DemaretJames Newton Demaret was an American professional golfer. He won 31 PGA Tour events in a long career between 1935 and 1957, and was the first three-time winner of the Masters....
and Ben HoganBen HoganWilliam Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game... - 1943-45 No tournament due to World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- 1942 Lawson LittleLawson LittleWilliam Lawson Little, Jr. was an American professional golfer who also had a distinguished amateur career....
and Lloyd MangrumLloyd MangrumLloyd Eugene Mangrum was an American professional golfer. He was known for his smooth swing and his relaxed demeanour on the course, which earned him the nickname "Mr. Icicle".Mangrum was born in Trenton, Texas... - 1941 Jimmy DemaretJimmy DemaretJames Newton Demaret was an American professional golfer. He won 31 PGA Tour events in a long career between 1935 and 1957, and was the first three-time winner of the Masters....
and Ben HoganBen HoganWilliam Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game... - 1940 Ralph GuldahlRalph GuldahlRalph J. Guldahl was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the sport for three years in the late 1930s.-Early life until 1939:Guldahl was born in Dallas, Texas...
and Sam SneadSam SneadSamuel Jackson Snead was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the world for most of four decades. Snead won a record 82 PGA Tour events including seven majors. He failed to win a U.S... - 1939 Henry PicardHenry PicardHenry Gilford Picard was an American professional golfer.Picard was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and learned to play golf while caddying at the Plymouth Country Club. Picard, already a talented player by his early 20s, came to prominence after coaching from the leading instructor Alex Morrison...
and Johnny Revolta - 1938 Vic GhezziVic GhezziVictor J. Ghezzi was an American golfer. He won 11 times on the PGA Tour including one major championship, the 1941 PGA Championship. He was selected for three Ryder Cup teams, 1939, 1941, and 1943 but each was canceled due to World War II...
and Sam SneadSam SneadSamuel Jackson Snead was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the world for most of four decades. Snead won a record 82 PGA Tour events including seven majors. He failed to win a U.S... - 1937 Harry CooperHarry Cooper (golfer)Harry E. Cooper was a prominent PGA Tour golfer of the 1920s and 1930s. After he retired from competitive golf, he became a well-regarded instructor, into his 90s....
and Horton SmithHorton SmithHorton Smith was an American professional golfer, who is best known as the first man to win the Masters Tournament.- Tournament career :... - 1936 Walter HagenWalter HagenWalter Charles Hagen was a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th century. His tally of eleven professional majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods . He won the U.S. Open twice, and in 1922 he became the first native-born American to win the British Open, which he went on...
and Ky LaffoonKy LaffoonKy Laffoon was an American golfer. He won 10 times on the PGA Tour, with four of the victories coming in 1934. He played on the 1935 Ryder Cup team. In 1939 his wife Irene Laffoon threatened to leave him if he could not control his temper on golf course... - 1935 Henry PicardHenry PicardHenry Gilford Picard was an American professional golfer.Picard was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and learned to play golf while caddying at the Plymouth Country Club. Picard, already a talented player by his early 20s, came to prominence after coaching from the leading instructor Alex Morrison...
and Johnny Revolta
External links
- Inverness Club official site
- List of winners at Inverness Club official site