St. Petersburg Open Invitational
Encyclopedia
The St. Petersburg Open Invitational, first played as the St. Petersburg Open, was a PGA Tour
event that was held at three St. Petersburg, Florida
, U.S. area clubs for 29 years from 1930 until 1964. The clubs that hosted the event were: St. Petersburg Country Club (Lakewood), Pasadena Country Club (now known as Pasadena Yacht and Country Club), and Sunset Golf Club of the Vinoy Park Hotel (now known as the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club).
Bob Goalby
won the 1961 event after making eight consecutive birdies in the final round, a PGA Tour record at the time. Other golfers tied Goalby's mark but nobody surpassed it till 2009. In 1963, Raymond Floyd
won the event at 20 years 6 months of age becoming the youngest player to win a PGA Tour event since 1928.
Bruce Devlin
, an Australian golfer who had recently moved to the United States
, won the first of his eight PGA Tour titles at the last one in 1964. The tournament succumbed to financial pressure when the St. Petersburg City Council voted to postpone a decision on sponsorship of the 1965 event, and then Jacksonville
announced the resumption of the Jacksonville Open during week the tournament was to be held.
St. Petersburg Open
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
event that was held at three St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, U.S. area clubs for 29 years from 1930 until 1964. The clubs that hosted the event were: St. Petersburg Country Club (Lakewood), Pasadena Country Club (now known as Pasadena Yacht and Country Club), and Sunset Golf Club of the Vinoy Park Hotel (now known as the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club).
Bob Goalby
Bob Goalby
Robert George Goalby is a former American professional golfer on the PGA Tour, who won the 1968 Masters Tournament, his lone major championship among 11 Tour wins achieved between 1958 and 1971....
won the 1961 event after making eight consecutive birdies in the final round, a PGA Tour record at the time. Other golfers tied Goalby's mark but nobody surpassed it till 2009. In 1963, Raymond Floyd
Raymond Floyd
Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour....
won the event at 20 years 6 months of age becoming the youngest player to win a PGA Tour event since 1928.
Bruce Devlin
Bruce Devlin
Bruce William Devlin is an Australian professional golfer, sportscaster and golf course designer.Devlin was born in Armidale, Australia. He turned pro in 1961 and joined the PGA Tour in 1962 after an amateur career in Australia which included a win at the Australian Amateur in 1959...
, an Australian golfer who had recently moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, won the first of his eight PGA Tour titles at the last one in 1964. The tournament succumbed to financial pressure when the St. Petersburg City Council voted to postpone a decision on sponsorship of the 1965 event, and then Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
announced the resumption of the Jacksonville Open during week the tournament was to be held.
Tournament hosts
| Course | Years |
|---|---|
| Sunset Golf Club at Vinoy Park | 1930-33, 1936–51, 1953 |
| Pasadena Country Club | 1934, 1957–58, 1959 (co-host), 1961 |
| St. Petersburg Country Club (Lakewood) | 1952, 1955–56, 1959 (co-host), 1960, 1962–64 |
Winners
St. Petersburg Open Invitational- 1964 Bruce DevlinBruce DevlinBruce William Devlin is an Australian professional golfer, sportscaster and golf course designer.Devlin was born in Armidale, Australia. He turned pro in 1961 and joined the PGA Tour in 1962 after an amateur career in Australia which included a win at the Australian Amateur in 1959...
- 1963 Raymond FloydRaymond FloydRaymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour....
- 1962 Bobby NicholsBobby NicholsRobert Herman Nichols is an American professional golfer, best known for winning the 1964 PGA Championship.Nichols was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville and later played golf at Texas A&M University were his team won the Southwest Conference Championship...
- 1961 Bob GoalbyBob GoalbyRobert George Goalby is a former American professional golfer on the PGA Tour, who won the 1968 Masters Tournament, his lone major championship among 11 Tour wins achieved between 1958 and 1971....
- 1960 George BayerGeorge BayerGeorge Bayer was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour....
- 1959 Cary MiddlecoffCary MiddlecoffEmmett Cary Middlecoff was a dentist who gave up his practice to become a professional golfer on the PGA Tour in the 1940s....
St. Petersburg Open
- 1958 Arnold PalmerArnold PalmerArnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
- 1957 Pete CooperPete Cooper (golfer)Richard Bernice "Pete" Cooper was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour in the 1940s and 1950s; he was best known for winning the 1976 PGA Seniors' Championship.Cooper turned professional in 1938...
- 1956 Mike FetchickMike FetchickMichael Fetchick is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.Fetchick was born in Yonkers, New York. He turned pro in 1950 and joined the PGA Tour in 1952. He won the 1956 Western Open at The Presidio in San Francisco in an 18-hole playoff over Doug Ford,...
- 1955 Cary MiddlecoffCary MiddlecoffEmmett Cary Middlecoff was a dentist who gave up his practice to become a professional golfer on the PGA Tour in the 1940s....
- 1954 No tournament
- 1953 E.J. "Dutch" Harrison
- 1952 Jack Burke, Jr.
- 1951 Jim FerrierJim FerrierJames B. Ferrier was an Australian professional golfer from Manly, New South Wales. He became an American citizen in 1944.-Early years:...
- 1950 Jack Burke, Jr.
- 1949 Pete CooperPete Cooper (golfer)Richard Bernice "Pete" Cooper was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour in the 1940s and 1950s; he was best known for winning the 1976 PGA Seniors' Championship.Cooper turned professional in 1938...
- 1948 Lawson LittleLawson LittleWilliam Lawson Little, Jr. was an American professional golfer who also had a distinguished amateur career....
- 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....
- 1946 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 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...
- 1941 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...
- 1940 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....
- 1939 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...
- 1938 Johnny Revolta
- 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....
- 1936 Leonard DodsonLeonard DodsonLeonard Dodson was an American professional golfer.One of four boys, Dodson was born in Mumford, Missouri, and grew up in the Springfield area.Dodson won three times on the early PGA Tour between 1936 and 1941....
- 1935 No tournament - area hosted Florida West Coast Open that season (winner: Willie MacfarlaneWillie MacfarlaneWilliam "Willie" Macfarlane was a Scottish professional golfer....
) - 1934 Paul RunyanPaul RunyanPaul Scott Runyan was an American professional golfer. He was among the world's best players in the mid-1930s, won two PGA Championships, and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Runyan was also a golf instructor....
- 1933 Bob Stupple
- 1932 Willie MacfarlaneWillie MacfarlaneWilliam "Willie" Macfarlane was a Scottish professional golfer....
- 1931 No tournament
- 1930 Jock Collins