West Palm Beach Open Invitational

The West Palm Beach Open Invitational, first played as The West Palm Beach Open, was a PGA Tour event in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was held at the West Palm Beach Country Club,[1] now known as the West Palm Beach Golf Course, an 18-hole, par-72 championship course established in 1921 and in its present location in the southwestern corner of West Palm Beach, Florida since 1947.[2]

West Palm Beach Open
Tournament information
LocationWest Palm Beach, Florida
Established1954
Course(s)West Palm Beach Country Club
Par71
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$20,000
Month playedNovember/December
Final year1972
Tournament record score
Aggregate269 Pete Cooper (1958)
To par−19 as above
Final champion
Wilf Homenuik
Location map
West Palm Beach CC
Location in the United States
West Palm Beach CC
Location in Florida

The West Palm Beach Open was founded in 1954 as a 54-hole event with prize money of $2,000. Prize money increased to $5,000 in 1955 and $10,000 in 1956 and 1957. The 1957 event was run by the PGA.[3] From 1958 to 1962 the tournament was a 72-hole PGA Tour event with prize money of $15,000 from 1958 to 1960 and $20,000 in 1961 and 1962. From 1963 the event returned to being a local event. The 1963 tournament was over 54 holes with a first prize of $500.

Winners
YearTour[lower-alpha 1]WinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)		Ref.
West Palm Beach Open
1972 Wilf Homenuik[4]
1964–1971: No tournament
1963 Jim McCoy
West Palm Beach Open Invitational
1962PGAT Dave Ragan277−11Playoff Doug Sanders2,800[5]
1961PGAT Gay Brewer274−144 strokes Arnold Palmer2,800[6]
1960PGAT Johnny Pott278−103 strokes Sam Snead2,000[7]
1959PGAT Arnold Palmer281−7Playoff Gay Brewer
Pete Cooper		2,000[8]
1958PGAT Pete Cooper269−19Playoff Wes Ellis2,000[9]
1957PGAT Al Balding209−71 stroke Dow Finsterwald
Bert Weaver		1,200[10]
West Palm Beach Open
1956 Gardner Dickinson
1955 Al Besselink
1954 Lloyd Wadkins

Notes
  1. PGAT − PGA Tour.

References
  1. "Tournament history from Arnold Palmer's official site". Retrieved 2007-11-22.
  2. "West Palm Beach Golf Course". Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  3. Husky, Bob (15 September 1957). "Off the fairway". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. p. 26. Retrieved 11 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Golf Canada Hall of Fame: Wilf Homenuik". Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  5. "Ragan Wins In Playoff Against Doug Sanders". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Sarasota, Florida. AP. December 3, 1962. p. 19.
  6. "Gay Brewer in Tourney Win on 274". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. AP. December 4, 1961. p. 9.
  7. "Pott Takes Pot As Sam Blows Up". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Daytona Beach, Florida. AP. December 5, 1960. p. 12.
  8. "Palmer Wins Palm Beach on Play-Off". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. AP. November 30, 1959. p. 12.
  9. "Cooper Wins At WPB In Playoff". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Daytona Beach, Florida. AP. November 24, 1958. p. 10.
  10. "Balding Gets Win At WPB With 209". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Daytona Beach, Florida. AP. November 25, 1957. p. 6.


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