Thunderbird Invitational

Golf tournament

Golf tournament

Thunderbird InvitationalTournament information

Location| Rancho Mirage, California
Established| 1953
Course(s)| Thunderbird Country Club
Par| 71
Length| 6,680 yards (6,110 m)[1]
Tour(s)| PGA Tour
Format| Stroke play
Prize fund| US$15,000
Month played| January
Final year| 1959
Tournament record score
Aggregate| 266 Arnold Palmer (1959)
To par| −20 Fred Haas (1954)
Final champion
Arnold Palmer
Location map

Thunderbird CC

Location in the United States

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Thunderbird CC

Location in California

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The Thunderbird Invitational was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played from 1952 to 1959 in Rancho Mirage, California.[2][3][4] Held in late January at Thunderbird Country Club, the tournament's purse was a modest $15,000; it was the direct predecessor of the Desert Classic, which began in 1960. Thunderbird hosted the Ryder Cup in 1955.[5][6]

Arnold Palmer, 29, was the event's final champion in 1959;[1][4] he won the next year at the first edition of the "Palm Springs Desert Classic," which had a $100,000 purse and a winner's share of 12,000, his largest tour check to date.[7]

Ken Venturi, 26, won the 1958 event and was awarded a $1,500 check and a $4,500 automobile.[8] He backed it up with another win the following week at Phoenix.[9]

Jimmy Demaret won the event three times; his first was a 54-hole midweek event in 1953,[10][11] and the last was an 18-hole playoff on Monday in 1957 for consecutive titles.[12][13]

The 1952 event was a 36 hole pro-am, played midweek. Dutch Harrison won the best-ball while Jim Ferrier and Cary Middlecoff had the best professional scores.[14][15]

## Winners

[edit]

Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of
victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's
share ($) | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1959 |  Arnold Palmer | 266 | −18 | 3 strokes |  Jimmy Demaret
Ken Venturi | 1,500 | [1][4]
1958 |  Ken Venturi | 269 | −15 | 4 strokes |  Jimmy Demaret
Gene Littler | 1,500 | [8]
1957 |  Jimmy Demaret (3) | 273 | −11 | Playoff |  Mike Souchak
Ken Venturi | 2,000 | [12][13]
1956 |  Jimmy Demaret (2) | 269 | −15 | 1 stroke |  Cary Middlecoff | 2,000 | [16]
1955 |  Shelley Mayfield | 270 | −18 | Playoff |  Fred Haas
Mike Souchak | 2,000 | [17]
1954 |  Fred Haas | 268 | −20 | 2 strokes |  Marty Furgol
Chandler Harper
Bo Wininger | 2,000 | [3]
1953 |  Jimmy Demaret | 201 | −15 | 2 strokes |  Ben Hogan
Lloyd Mangrum
Jim Turnesa | 1,500 | [10][11]

## Playoffs

[edit]

In 1953 it was over 54 holes, midweek. In 1955 Mayfield won with a birdie on second extra hole after 18-hole playoff. Mayfield and Souchak scored 69, Haas 70. In 1957 Demaret won after an 18-hole playoff, scoring 67, Souchak scored 75 and Venturi 76.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Palmer wins Thunderbird on 62 for 266". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. January 26, 1959. p. 3, part 4.
2. ^ Spicer, Judd (December 28, 2010). "Before the Hope". Palm Springs Life. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
3. ^ a b "Fred Haas wins". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. February 1, 1954. p. 2B.
4. ^ a b c "Palmer victor in Thunderbird". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 26, 1959. p. 2B.
5. ^ "Ryder Cup kept by U.S.; Briton tops Middlecoff". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 7, 1955. p. 10.
6. ^ "U.S. retains Ryder Cup golf trophy by 8-4". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. November 7, 1955. p. 26.
7. ^ "Palmer wins title". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. February 8, 1960. p. 3B.
8. ^ a b "Ken Venturi 'Bird winner". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 27, 1958. p. 3B.
9. ^ "Venturi, finishes strong, takes Phoenix golf crown". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. February 3, 1958. p. 2B.
10. ^ a b "Demaret wins at Thunderbird". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. January 22, 1953. p. 2B.
11. ^ a b "Prize goes to Demaret". Ellensburg Daily Record. (Washington). Associated Press. January 22, 1953. p. 8.
12. ^ a b "Souchak holes 40-foot putt for Thunderbird triple tie". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 28, 1957. p. 10.
13. ^ a b "Demaret wins golf playoff". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 29, 1957. p. 3B.
14. ^ "Ferrier leading at Palm Springs". Ellensburg Daily Record. (Washington). Associated Press. January 22, 1952. p. 8.
15. ^ "Harrison takes top money in California golf". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. January 23, 1952. p. 3, sec. 3.
16. ^ "Thunderbird tourney won by Demaret". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 30, 1956. p. 3B.
17. ^ "Mayfield wins golf playoff on extra hole". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. February 1, 1955. p. 2, sec. 3.

## External links

[edit]

* Winners list on the PGA Tour's official site
* Thunderbird Country Club – history

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