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; 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.
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.
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, falling by a stroke in an 18-hole playoff in 1958; the difference was a penalty stroke he called
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 $35,000.
Tournament hosts 1949–1971 – Cape Fear Country Club, Wilmington, North Carolina 1945 – Mobile Country Club, Mobile, Alabama
Winners YearTourWinnerScoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-upWinner'sshare ($)Ref.Azalea Open Invitational 1971 George Johnson 274 −10 Playoff Ralph Johnston 7,000 1970 PGAT Cesar Sanudo 269 −15 1 stroke Bobby Mitchell 12,000 1969 PGAT Dale Douglass 275 −9 3 strokes Jim Langley Larry Mowry Bob Stone Terry Wilcox 5,000 1968 PGAT Steve Reid 271 −13 Playoff Gary Player 5,000 1967 PGAT Randy Glover 278 −10 Playoff Joe Campbell 5,000 1966 PGAT Bert Yancey 278 −10 1 stroke Bob Johnson 3,200 1965 PGAT Dick Hart 276 −12 Playoff Phil Rodgers 3,850 Azalea Open 1964 PGAT Al Besselink (2) 282 −6 1 stroke Lionel Hebert 2,700 1963 PGAT Jerry Barber (3) 274 −14 5 strokes Larry Beck Bruce Crampton Doug Ford Billy Maxwell Jack Rule Jr. 2,800 1962 PGAT Dave Marr 281 −7 Playoff Jerry Steelsmith 2,800 1961 PGAT Jerry Barber (2) 213 −3 Playoff Chandler Harper 1,200 1960 PGAT Tom Nieporte 277 −11 2 strokes Gay Brewer 2,000 1959 PGAT Art Wall Jr. 282 −6 3 strokes Mike Souchak 2,000 1958 PGAT Howie Johnson 282 −6 Playoff Arnold Palmer 2,000 1957 PGAT Arnold Palmer 282 −6 1 stroke Dow Finsterwald 1,700 1956 PGAT Mike Souchak 273 −15 1 stroke Dick Mayer 2,200 1955 PGAT Billy Maxwell 270 −18 1 stroke Mike Souchak 2,200 1954 PGAT Bob Toski 273 −15 3 strokes George Fazio 2,000 1953 PGAT Jerry Barber 276 −12 1 stroke Doug Ford Ted Kroll Johnny Palmer 2,000 1952 PGAT Jimmy Clark 272 −16 3 strokes George Fazio Jim Turnesa 2,000 Wilmington Azalea Open 1951 PGAT Lloyd Mangrum 281 −7 1 stroke Jim Ferrier Ed Furgol Jim Turnesa 2,000 1950 PGAT Dutch Harrison 280 −8 2 strokes George Fazio 2,000 Wilmington Open 1949 PGAT Henry Ransom 276 −12 2 strokes Fred Haas Bob Hamilton Bobby Locke Cary Middlecoff 2,000 Azalea Open 1946 Al Besselink (a) 1945 PGAT Sammy Byrd 283 −5 Playoff Dutch Harrison 2,000
Notes
References
External links Cape Fear Country Club