Azalea Open Invitational
LocationWilmington, North Carolina
Establishment1945
CourseCape Fear Country Club
Par71
Yardage6,575 yards (6,012 m)[1]
TourPGA Tour
FormatStroke play
PurseUS$35,000
Month playedNovember
Final year1971
Aggregate270 Billy Maxwell (1955)
To-par−18 as above
Final championGeorge Johnson
Coordinates34.22°N 77.918°W

The Azalea Open Invitational was a golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour, held at Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington. Last played in November 1971 as an unofficial event;[1][2] it was an official PGA Tour event in 1945 and from 1949 through 1970. The Heritage in South Carolina debuted in 1969 and soon displaced it on the schedule.[3]

It was also played under the names of the Azalea Open and the Wilmington Azalea Open; all were centerpieces of the city's Azalea Festival. Cape Fear was designed by noted course architect Donald Ross.[3]

From 1950 through 1965, the Azalea Open was a tune-up event for the first major of the year, The Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Jerry Barber, the winner of the PGA Championship in 1961, won the Wilmington event three times (1953, 1961, 1963). Arnold Palmer won in 1957 and nearly repeated,[4] falling by a stroke in an 18-hole playoff in 1958; the difference was a penalty stroke he called on himself.[5][6]

Total prize money was initially $10,000, increasing to $12,500 in 1955 and $15,000 in 1958. It reduced to $12,000 in 1961 before increasing to $20,000 from 1962 to 1964. Prize money was $28,750 in 1965, $22,800 in 1966, $35,000 from 1967 to 1969 and $60,000 in 1970. The final non-tour event in 1971 had prize money of $35,000.

Tournament hosts

  • 1949–1971 – Cape Fear Country Club, Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 1945 – Mobile Country Club, Mobile, Alabama

Winners

YearTour[a]WinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)		Ref.
Azalea Open Invitational
1971George Johnson274−10PlayoffRalph Johnston7,000[1][2]
1970PGATCesar Sanudo269−151 strokeBobby Mitchell12,000[7]
1969PGATDale Douglass275−93 strokesJim Langley
Larry Mowry
Bob Stone
Terry Wilcox		5,000[8]
1968PGATSteve Reid271−13PlayoffGary Player5,000[9]
1967PGATRandy Glover278−10PlayoffJoe Campbell5,000[10]
1966PGATBert Yancey278−101 strokeBob Johnson3,200[11]
1965PGATDick Hart276−12PlayoffPhil Rodgers3,850[12]
Azalea Open
1964PGATAl Besselink (2)282−61 strokeLionel Hebert2,700[13]
1963PGATJerry Barber (3)274−145 strokesLarry Beck
Bruce Crampton
Doug Ford
Billy Maxwell
Jack Rule Jr.		2,800[14]
1962PGATDave Marr281−7PlayoffJerry Steelsmith2,800[15]
1961PGATJerry Barber (2)213−3PlayoffChandler Harper1,200[16]
1960PGATTom Nieporte277−112 strokesGay Brewer2,000[17]
1959PGATArt Wall Jr.282−63 strokesMike Souchak2,000[18]
1958PGATHowie Johnson282−6PlayoffArnold Palmer2,000[5][6]
1957PGATArnold Palmer282−61 strokeDow Finsterwald1,700[4]
1956PGATMike Souchak273−151 strokeDick Mayer2,200[19]
1955PGATBilly Maxwell270−181 strokeMike Souchak2,200[20]
1954PGATBob Toski273−153 strokesGeorge Fazio2,000[21]
1953PGATJerry Barber276−121 strokeDoug Ford
Ted Kroll
Johnny Palmer		2,000[22]
1952PGATJimmy Clark272−163 strokesGeorge Fazio
Jim Turnesa		2,000[23][24]
Wilmington Azalea Open
1951PGATLloyd Mangrum281−71 strokeJim Ferrier
Ed Furgol
Jim Turnesa		2,000[25][26]
1950PGATDutch Harrison280−82 strokesGeorge Fazio2,000[27]
Wilmington Open
1949PGATHenry Ransom276−122 strokesFred Haas
Bob Hamilton
Bobby Locke
Cary Middlecoff		2,000[28][29]
Azalea Open
1946Al Besselink (a)
1945PGATSammy Byrd283−5PlayoffDutch Harrison2,000[30][31]

Notes

  1. ^ PGAT − PGA Tour.

References

  1. ^ "George Johnson grabs Azalea golf tourney". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. November 22, 1971. p. 31.
  2. ^ Collins, Corky (November 22, 1971). "Johnson wins Azalea in playoff". Wilmington Morning Star. p. 1D.
  3. ^ Blondin, Alan (May 4, 2017). "Wilmington used to be home to star-studded PGA Tour event". PGA of America. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  4. ^ "Palmer captures Azalea by stroke". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. April 1, 1957. p. 1C.
  5. ^ "Johnson wins Azalea Open". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. April 1, 1958. p. 1C.
  6. ^ "Howie Johnson takes Azalea; penalty helps". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. April 1, 1958. p. 3, sec. 3.
  7. ^ "Sanudo by one". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. October 5, 1970.
  8. ^ "Douglass gets 1st win". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. April 21, 1969. p. 11.
  9. ^ "Reid wins Azalea Open in sudden-death final". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. April 22, 1968. p. 6C.
  10. ^ "Glover tops Campbell to take Azalea play". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. April 17, 1967. p. 12.
  11. ^ "Azalea win goes to Yancey". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. April 18, 1966. p. 12.
  12. ^ "Hart captures Azalea playoff from Rodgers". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. March 29, 1965. p. 12.
  13. ^ "Triple bogey doesn't keep Al Besselink from victory". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Associated Press. March 31, 1964. p. 8.
  14. ^ "Golf event win taken by Barber". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Associated Press. April 1, 1963. p. 20.
  15. ^ "Playoff won by Dave Marr". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Associated Press. April 2, 1962. p. 17.
  16. ^ "It's sudden-death...and Barber is killer". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. April 3, 1961. p. 1C.
  17. ^ "Tom Nieporte golf victor". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Associated Press. April 4, 1960. p. 26.
  18. ^ "Azalea Open won by Wall; Souchak 2d". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. March 31, 1959. p. 2B.
  19. ^ "Souchak takes Azalea Open". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. April 2, 1956. p. 16.
  20. ^ "Billy Maxwell rallies to win Azalea golf". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. April 4, 1955. p. 19.
  21. ^ "Toski's 273 takes first place Azalea Open money". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. March 30, 1954. p. 14.
  22. ^ "Barber wins Azalea Open". Eugene Register-Guard. United Press. April 6, 1953. p. 2B.
  23. ^ Williams, John (March 31, 1952). "Clark wins Azalea Open, breaks record with 272". Wilmington Morning Star. p. 1.
  24. ^ "Clark cards 272 to take Azalea Open". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. March 31, 1952. p. 20.
  25. ^ "Mangrum wins Azalea tournament". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Associated Press. April 2, 1951. p. 9.
  26. ^ "Lloyd Mangrum wins in Azalea". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. April 2, 1951. p. 8.
  27. ^ "Dutch Harrison wins Azalea Open". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Associated Press. April 3, 1950. p. 10.
  28. ^ "Henry Ransom Wins $10,000 Tourney". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. April 25, 1949. p. 8.
  29. ^ "Wilmington Open taken by Ransom". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. April 25, 1949. p. 1, sec.4.
  30. ^ "Byrd, Harrison Finish in a Tie". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. November 19, 1945. p. 9.
  31. ^ "Sam Byrd Cops Azalea Crown". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. November 20, 1945. p. 8.