Monday, May 22, 2017

DEAN & DELUCA Invitational Winners and History

DeanAndDelucaIMG
Dean & Deluca Invitational Winners and History

Since 2016, Dean and Deluca, an upscale grocery retailer, has been the title sponsor for the tournament that began life as The Colonial National Invitational at The Colonial Golf Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Prior to 2016, the sponsor was Crowne Plaza.

The inspiration for a professional golf tournament at The Colonial came from the 1941 US Open, which was held at The Colonial. It was the first US Open held south of the Mason-Dixon line, and was thought a huge success. Local organizers hoped to capitalize on that goodwill, and in 1946 launched The Colonial Invitational.

Much of the appeal of the Colonial is that it has been played on the same classic course since its inception. Indeed, it’s impossible to imagine the tournament not being held there. The club, which dates to 1936, was designed by John Bredemus and Perry Maxwell and has among its memorable vistas holes that extend along the length of the Trinity River.

The Colonial National Invitational had no title sponsor until 1988, when it became the MasterCard Colonial Invitational. In 2003, it was picked up by Bank of America. In 2007, it became the Crown Plaza Invitational At Colonial. Dean And Deluca The current purse is $6,200,000, with $1,116,000 going to the winner.

The Colonial winners’ list looks like a Hall of Fame roster. Ben Hogan won the Colonial Invitational five times (1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1959). In addition to Hogan, there’s Palmer, Snead, Casper, Bolt, De Vicenzo, Stockton, Crenshaw, Nicklaus, Price, Watson and Mickelson (Tiger is curiously absent). The strength of the winners’ roster is in part due to the strength of field: The Colonial is an Invitational, with only the top 80 players on the previous year’s money list guaranteed a spot.

If there was a tournament named for Ben Hogan, it would be at the Colonial. In addition to winning here five times,  Hogan considered The Colonial to be his home course.  His presence is everywhere, from a statue near the entrance, to a museum of his office there.

A unique tradition at the Colonial is the “Champion’s Choice.” Each year, former Dean & Deluca Colonial Invitational Champions select two young players to join the field who otherwise would be ineligible. Among the Champions Choices were Al Greiberger, Tom Weiskopf, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange, Mark O’Meara, Paul Azinger and Davis Love. Dave Stockton won the tournament in the year he was selected.

While the Masters has the Green Jacket, the Colonial offers a Scottish tartan plaid jacket for its champions and committee chairmen. The tournament and Colonial Golf club also is marked by the engraved marble Wall of Champions near the first tee, which features the name and score of each of the tournament’s winners.

A random note: In 2003, Annika Sorenstam played the Colonial Invitational, becoming the first women to play a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias entered the Los Angeles Open.

A list of the winners of the Dean and Deluca Invitational At Colonial:

Dean and Deluca Winners

Year Player Score To par Margin
Dean & DeLuca Invitational
2016 Chris Kirk 268 -12 3 strokes
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
2015 Chris Kirk 268 –12 1 stroke
2014 Adam Scott 271 −9 Playoff
2013 Boo Weekley 266 −14 1 stroke
2012 Zach Johnson (2) 268 −12 1 stroke
2011 David Toms 265 −15 1 stroke
2010 Zach Johnson 259 −21 3 strokes
2009 Steve Stricker 263 −17 Playoff
2008 Phil Mickelson (2) 266 −14 1 stroke
2007 Rory Sabbatini 266 −14 Playoff
Bank of America Colonial
2006 Tim Herron 268 −12 Playoff
2005 Kenny Perry (2) 261 −19 7 strokes
2004 Steve Flesch 269 −11 1 stroke
2003 Kenny Perry 261 −19 6 strokes
MasterCard Colonial
2002 Nick Price (2) 267 −13 5 strokes
2001 Sergio García 267 −13 2 strokes
2000 Phil Mickelson 268 −12 2 strokes
1999 Olin Browne 272 −8 1 stroke
1998 Tom Watson 265 −15 2 strokes
1997 David Frost 265 −15 2 strokes
1996 Corey Pavin (2) 272 −8 2 strokes
Colonial National Invitation
1995 Tom Lehman 271 −9 1 stroke
Southwestern Bell Colonial
1994 Nick Price 266 −14 Playoff
1993 Fulton Allem 264 −16 1 stroke
1992 Bruce Lietzke (2) 267 −13 Playoff
1991 Tom Purtzer 267 −13 3 strokes
1990 Ben Crenshaw (2) 272 −8 3 strokes
1989 Ian Baker-Finch 270 −10 4 strokes
Colonial National Invitation
1988 Lanny Wadkins 270 −10 1 stroke
1987 Keith Clearwater 266 −14 3 strokes
1986 Dan Pohl 205 (rain - 54 holes) −5 Playoff
1985 Corey Pavin 266 −14 4 strokes
1984 Peter Jacobsen 270 −10 Playoff
1983 Jim Colbert 278 −2 Playoff
1982 Jack Nicklaus 273 −7 3 strokes
1981 Fuzzy Zoeller 274 −6 4 strokes
1980 Bruce Lietzke 271 −9 1 stroke
1979 Al Geiberger 274 −6 1 stroke
1978 Lee Trevino (2) 268 −12 4 strokes
1977 Ben Crenshaw 272 −8 1 stroke
1976 Lee Trevino 273 −7 1 stroke
1975 No tournament - hosted the Tournament Players Championship
1974 Rod Curl 276 −4 1 stroke
1973 Tom Weiskopf 276 −4 1 stroke
1972 Jerry Heard 275 −5 2 strokes
1971 Gene Littler 283 3 1 stroke
1970 Homero Blancas 273 −7 1 stroke
1969 Gardner Dickinson 278 −2 1 stroke
1968 Billy Casper (2) 275 −5 5 strokes
1967 Dave Stockton 278 −2 2 strokes
1966 Bruce Devlin 280 E 1 stroke
1965 Bruce Crampton 276 −4 3 strokes
1964 Billy Casper 279 −1 4 strokes
1963 Julius Boros (2) 279 −1 4 strokes
1962 Arnold Palmer 281 1 Playoff
1961 Doug Sanders 281 1 1 stroke
1960 Julius Boros 280 E 1 stroke
1959 Ben Hogan (5) 285 5 Playoff
1958 Tommy Bolt 282 2 1 stroke
1957 Roberto De Vicenzo 284 4 1 stroke
1956 Mike Souchak 280 E 1 stroke
1955 Chandler Harper 276 −4 8 strokes
1954 Johnny Palmer 280 E 2 strokes
1953 Ben Hogan (4) 282 2 5 strokes
1952 Ben Hogan (3) 279 −1 4 strokes
1951 Cary Middlecoff 282 2 1 stroke
1950 Sam Snead 277 −3 3 strokes
1949 No tournament - cancelled due to course flooding[17]
1948 Clayton Heafner 272 −8 6 strokes
1947 Ben Hogan (2) 279 −1 1 stroke
1946 Ben Hogan 279 −1 1 stroke
Winners of the Dean and Deluca Invitational At Colonial.

The post DEAN & DELUCA Invitational Winners and History appeared first on GolfBlogger Golf Blog.



from GolfBlogger Golf Blog http://ift.tt/2qGY9F1

No comments:

Post a Comment