Southern Farm Bureau Classic
Encyclopedia
The Viking Classic is a golf
tournament on the PGA Tour
named for its main sponsor, Viking Range Corporation. It is played annually in Madison, Mississippi
, and as of 2011 is played in July. The tournament is held at the Annandale Golf Club. From 1968 to 1993 it was played at the Hattiesburg Country Club in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
.
, Craig Stadler
, and Payne Stewart
, the tournament was re-named the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic in 1986. In the past, this tournament was generally played opposite of a major or limited field tournament (officially termed an "alternate event" by the PGA Tour). It later became part of the Fall Series
, a group of events held after The Tour Championship
, before returning to its former status as an alternate event in 2011. In either case, the leading players in men's professional golf rarely participate. Until 1994, it was played opposite The Masters and then opposite the British Open
in the mid-90s. More recently, it played opposite various World Golf Championships and The Tour Championship. From 2007 to 2010, it generally played opposite the major team events involving PGA Tour players, namely the Ryder Cup
and Presidents Cup
. In 2011, it will return into the PGA Tour regular season opposite The Open Championship.
It has been an official money PGA Tour event since 1994. Prior to that, it was a satellite event with the money counting but the wins counting as unofficial.
From 2007 to 2010, it was part of the Fall Series. Because the FedEx Cup season championship is already determined by that time, elite players generally pass on Fall Series events; most players in the tournament are trying to either make the Top 125 on the money list and retain their tour cards, or earn a quick two-year exemption by winning. The 2007 event was played in the same week as the Presidents Cup
; most of the top Tour players played in that event instead of the Viking Classic. The situation was similar in 2008, with the tournament being scheduled opposite the Ryder Cup
. The 2009 purse was due to be $3,700,000, with $666,000 going to the winner. That year's event was also to be the first in the tournament's recent history to be the sole event on the PGA Tour schedule for that week, as it had been moved to the end of October with a scheduled finish on November 1. However, the tournament was cancelled on October 31, due to unplayable conditions at the Annandale Golf Club. The event was not rescheduled. The 2010 event was again held opposite the Ryder Cup. This would be the tournament's last fall edition, as it would move into the regular season the following year.
Southern Farm Bureau Classic
Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic
Magnolia State Classic
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournament on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
named for its main sponsor, Viking Range Corporation. It is played annually in Madison, Mississippi
Madison, Mississippi
Madison is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, USA. The population was 14,691 at the 2000 census. The population is currently 16,930. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is currently the highest income city in the state...
, and as of 2011 is played in July. The tournament is held at the Annandale Golf Club. From 1968 to 1993 it was played at the Hattiesburg Country Club in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
.
History
Known as the Magnolia State Classic from 1968 through 1985 with notable winners including Roger MaltbieRoger Maltbie
Roger Lin Maltbie is an American professional golfer and on-course analyst for NBC Sports and ESPN.Maltbie was born in Modesto, California and grew up in San Jose. He attended James Lick High School where he was a teammate of former PGA Tour player Forrest Fezler...
, Craig Stadler
Craig Stadler
Craig Robert Stadler is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level....
, and Payne Stewart
Payne Stewart
William Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42....
, the tournament was re-named the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic in 1986. In the past, this tournament was generally played opposite of a major or limited field tournament (officially termed an "alternate event" by the PGA Tour). It later became part of the Fall Series
PGA Tour Fall Series
The PGA Tour Fall Series is a series of events on the PGA Tour that covers the end of the calendar year.This series was created in 2007 as part of the reorganization of the entire tour schedule. The new structure includes a regular season and the FedEx Cup playoffs, which will determine the season...
, a group of events held after The Tour Championship
The Tour Championship
The Tour Championship was historically the final event of golf's PGA Tour season. Since 2007, it has been the final event of the FedEx Cup, the competition for the first official championship trophy for the PGA Tour season. From 1987 to 1996, several courses hosted the event...
, before returning to its former status as an alternate event in 2011. In either case, the leading players in men's professional golf rarely participate. Until 1994, it was played opposite The Masters and then opposite the British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
in the mid-90s. More recently, it played opposite various World Golf Championships and The Tour Championship. From 2007 to 2010, it generally played opposite the major team events involving PGA Tour players, namely the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
and Presidents Cup
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
. In 2011, it will return into the PGA Tour regular season opposite The Open Championship.
It has been an official money PGA Tour event since 1994. Prior to that, it was a satellite event with the money counting but the wins counting as unofficial.
From 2007 to 2010, it was part of the Fall Series. Because the FedEx Cup season championship is already determined by that time, elite players generally pass on Fall Series events; most players in the tournament are trying to either make the Top 125 on the money list and retain their tour cards, or earn a quick two-year exemption by winning. The 2007 event was played in the same week as the Presidents Cup
2007 Presidents Cup
United States 19½ - International 14½The 7th Presidents Cup Matches were held in 2007 between September 27 and September 30. They were played at the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Île Bizard, Quebec, Canada. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 19½–14½.-Format:On the first day six...
; most of the top Tour players played in that event instead of the Viking Classic. The situation was similar in 2008, with the tournament being scheduled opposite the Ryder Cup
2008 Ryder Cup
The 37th Ryder Cup Matches were held September 19–21, 2008, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Team USA won 16½ - 11½ to end the streak of three successive victories for Team Europe. This was Team USA's largest margin of victory since 1981, and the first time since 1979 the...
. The 2009 purse was due to be $3,700,000, with $666,000 going to the winner. That year's event was also to be the first in the tournament's recent history to be the sole event on the PGA Tour schedule for that week, as it had been moved to the end of October with a scheduled finish on November 1. However, the tournament was cancelled on October 31, due to unplayable conditions at the Annandale Golf Club. The event was not rescheduled. The 2010 event was again held opposite the Ryder Cup. This would be the tournament's last fall edition, as it would move into the regular season the following year.
Winners
Viking Classic- 2011
Chris KirkChris KirkChris Kirk is an American professional golfer.Kirk was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, but subsequently lived in Woodstock, Georgia. He played college golf at the University of Georgia and was a member of their 2005 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship team along with Kevin Kisner, Richard Scott... - 2010 Bill HaasBill HaasWilliam Harlan Haas is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and won the 2011 FedEx Cup. He is the son of former PGA Tour player Jay Haas.-Early life:...
- 2009 Tournament cancelled
- 2008 Will MacKenzieWill MacKenzieWilliam Ruggles MacKenzie is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour.MacKenzie was born and raised in Greenville, North Carolina. He was a golfing prodigy growing up but burned out on golf at age 14 and completely quit the game after high school...
- 2007 Chad CampbellChad CampbellDavid Chad Campbell is an American professional golfer.-Early years and amateur career:Campbell was born in Andrews, Texas and grew up in west Texas. He was a member of a strong junior college men's golf squad during the years he played at Midland College...
Southern Farm Bureau Classic
- 2006 D. J. TrahanD. J. TrahanDonald Roland "D.J." Trahan, Jr. is an American professional golfer.Trahan was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He moved to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where he attended Hilton Head Island High School. He then moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina where he attended and graduated from Paul M....
- 2005 Heath SlocumHeath SlocumTyler Heath Slocum is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Early years:Slocum was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He attended St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School in Bunkie, Louisiana from 1986 until 1987 . Slocum learned the game of golf from his father, Jack...
- 2004 Fred FunkFred FunkFrederick Funk is an American professional golfer.Funk was born in Takoma Park, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1980 with a degree in law enforcement. He turned professional in 1981, but worked as a golf coach at his alma mater from 1982 to 1988; he did not...
- 2003 John Huston
- 2002
Luke DonaldLuke DonaldLuke Campbell Donald is an English professional golfer who is the current World Number One. He plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour. In 2006 he reached the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. In January 2007, he... - 2001 Cameron BeckmanCameron BeckmanCameron Reid Beckman is an American professional golfer.Beckman was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was raised in the Twin Cities' suburb of Burnsville. He graduated from Burnsville Senior High School in 1988. He attended Texas Lutheran University, where he majored in Art and was a member of...
- 2000 Steve LowerySteve LoweryStephen Brent Lowery is an American professional golfer.Lowery was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He has PGA Tour victories in 1994, 2000 and 2008. All three of his victories on the PGA Tour have come in playoffs....
- 1999 Brian HenningerBrian HenningerBrian Hatfield Henninger is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. He has won two tournaments on the PGA Tour and three on the Nationwide Tour....
Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic
- 1998 Fred FunkFred FunkFrederick Funk is an American professional golfer.Funk was born in Takoma Park, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1980 with a degree in law enforcement. He turned professional in 1981, but worked as a golf coach at his alma mater from 1982 to 1988; he did not...
- 1997 Billy Ray BrownBilly Ray BrownBilly Ray Brown is a former American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1980s and 1990s, and a current sportscaster for ESPN on ABC....
- 1996 Willie WoodWillie Wood (golfer)Willie West Wood is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Champions Tour....
- 1995 Ed DoughertyEd DoughertyEdward Matthew "Doc" Dougherty is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.Dougherty was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He was drafted into the Army after high school and served a tour of duty in Vietnam...
- 1994 Brian HenningerBrian HenningerBrian Hatfield Henninger is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. He has won two tournaments on the PGA Tour and three on the Nationwide Tour....
- 1993 Greg KraftGreg KraftGreg Kraft is an American professional golfer who has played on the Nationwide Tour and the PGA Tour.Kraft was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from the University of Tampa in 1986 and turned professional later that year. He played on the Nationwide Tour in 1990, 1991, and 2005; and on the...
- 1992
Richard ZokolRichard ZokolRichard Francis "Dick" Zokol is a Canadian professional golfer who has played on the Canadian Tour, PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour, winning at least one event in each venue.... - 1991 Larry SilveiraLarry SilveiraLarry Silveira is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.-Amateur career:...
- 1990 Gene SauersGene SauersGene Craig Sauers is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Sauers was born in Savannah, Georgia. His father started him playing golf at the age of 9. He attended Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia...
- 1989 Jim BoorosJim BoorosJames Daniel Booros is an American professional golfer who played full-time on the PGA Tour for nine years.Booros played in about 250 events between 1977 and 1991 finishing in the top-125 on the money list five times. He won the 1989 Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic before that became an official PGA...
- 1988 Frank ConnerFrank Conner (golfer)Frank Conner is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Champions Tour. He was also an accomplished amateur tennis player. He and Ellsworth Vines are the only men to play in the U.S. Open in both tennis and golf.-Biography:Conner was born in Vienna, Austria...
- 1987 David OgrinDavid OgrinDavid Ogrin is an American professional golfer.Ogrin was born in Waukegan, Illinois. He attended Texas A&M University, graduating in 1980 with a degree in economics. He turned professional in 1980....
- 1986 Dan HalldorsonDan HalldorsonDaniel Albert Halldorson is a Canadian professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Canadian Tour.Halldorson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and raised in Brandon, Manitoba. He did not attend college and turned pro in 1971. He joined the Canadian Tour in 1973 and the PGA Tour in...
Magnolia State Classic
- 1985 Jim Gallagher, Jr.Jim Gallagher, Jr.James Thomas Gallagher, Jr. is an American professional golfer and sportscaster.Gallagher was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His father, a career club pro, started him in golf at age 6. He attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Gallagher turned pro in 1983 and joined the PGA Tour in...
- 1984 Lance Ten BroeckLance Ten BroeckLance Ten Broeck is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Champions Tour....
- 1983 Russ CochranRuss CochranRussell Earl Cochran is an American professional golfer on the Champions Tour who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. He is one of eight left-handed players to win a PGA Tour event....
- 1982 Payne StewartPayne StewartWilliam Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42....
- 1981 Tom Jones
- 1980 Roger MaltbieRoger MaltbieRoger Lin Maltbie is an American professional golfer and on-course analyst for NBC Sports and ESPN.Maltbie was born in Modesto, California and grew up in San Jose. He attended James Lick High School where he was a teammate of former PGA Tour player Forrest Fezler...
- 1979 Bobby WalzelBobby WalzelRobert Morris Walzel is an American professional golfer.Walzel was born in Houston, Texas. He played college golf at the University of Houston where he was on the teams that won back-to-back NCAA Division I Championships in 1969 and 1970. He turned professional in 1973.Walzel played on the PGA...
- 1978 Craig StadlerCraig StadlerCraig Robert Stadler is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level....
- 1977 Mike McCullough
- 1976 Dennis Meyer
- 1975 Bob WynnBob WynnRobert L. Wynn was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.Wynn was born in Lancaster, Kentucky. He turned pro in 1966. His victory at the 1976 B.C. Open was his only career win in a PGA Tour event. Wynn's final-round of 69 was enough to give him a...
- 1974 Dwight NevilDwight NevilDwight Nevil is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and later played on the Champions Tour.Nevil was born in Altus, Oklahoma. He played on the PGA Tour full-time from 1971–1977...
- 1973 Dwight NevilDwight NevilDwight Nevil is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and later played on the Champions Tour.Nevil was born in Altus, Oklahoma. He played on the PGA Tour full-time from 1971–1977...
- 1972 Mike MorleyMike MorleyMike Morley is an American golf course architect and a former professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour for 14 years....
- 1971 Roy Pace
- 1970 Chris Blocker
- 1969 Larry MowryLarry MowryLarry Mowry is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour ....
- 1968 Mac McLendonMac McLendonBenson Rayfield "Mac" McLendon, Jr. is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 1970s....
See also
- Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum ("Viking Classic Exhibit")