New England Classic Explained

CVS Charity Classic
Location:	Sutton, Massachusetts
Establishment:	1969
Final Year:	1998
Course:	Pleasant Valley Country Club
Par:	71
Yardage:	7110yd
Tour:	PGA Tour
Format:	Stroke play
Month Played:	July
Aggregate:	266 Loren Roberts (1997)
To-Par:	−18 as above
Final Champion:	Steve Pate
Map:	USA#USA Massachusetts
Map Label:	Pleasant Valley CC
Map Relief:	yes
Map Size:	200
Coordinates:	42.153°N -71.737°W

The New England Classic was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1969 through 1998. It was held under various names at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, Massachusetts.

Tournament highlights

1975: Roger Maltbie wins for the second consecutive week on the PGA Tour. He beats Mac McLendon by one shot.^[1] Afterwards, Maltbie left his $40,000 winner's check behind in a bar.^[2]
1977: Due to the PGA Tour labeling it a 'designated event',^[3] Jack Nicklaus plays in the tournament for the first and only time. He finishes in second place two shots behind winner Raymond Floyd.^[4]
1978: One week after winning the PGA Championship, John Mahaffey also takes home the American Optical Classic title. He beats defending champion Raymond Floyd and the PGA Tour's only optometrist, Gil Morgan, by two shots.^[5]
1986: Gene Sauers defeats Blaine McCallister on the third hole of a sudden death playoff for his first ever PGA Tour title after having to hole a par chip on the first playoff hole to avoid elimination.^[6]
1989: Three years after suffering a tough luck playoff loss at Pleasant Valley, Blaine McCallister birdies the final two holes to win the 21st edition of the tournament by one shot over Brad Faxon.^[7]
1998: Steve Pate wins the last edition of the tournament. He beat Scott Hoch and Bradley Hughes by one shot.^[8] For Pate it was his first victory since a 1996 car accident.

Year	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
CVS Charity Classic
	269	−15	1 stroke	Scott Hoch Bradley Hughes
	266	−18	1 stroke	Bill Glasson
	268	−16	3 strokes	Russ Cochran
Ideon Classic at Pleasant Valley
	268	−16	1 stroke	Jim McGovern
New England Classic
	268	−16	1 stroke	David Feherty
	268	−16	4 strokes	Jay Delsing Bruce Fleisher
	268	−16	2 strokes	Phil Mickelson
	268	−16	Playoff	Ian Baker-Finch
Bank of Boston Classic
	275	−9	1 stroke	Scott Verplank
	271	−13	1 stroke	Brad Faxon
	274	−10	1 stroke	Don Pooley
	199	−14	4 strokes	Wayne Grady Gene Sauers Ray Stewart
	274	−10	Playoff	Blaine McCallister
	267	−17	6 strokes	John Mahaffey Jodie Mudd Greg Norman Leonard Thompson
	270	−14	6 strokes	Frank Conner Joey Sindelar
	273	−11	1 stroke	John Mahaffey Sammy Rachels Jim Thorpe
	271	−13	2 strokes	Fuzzy Zoeller
Pleasant Valley Jimmy Fund Classic
	273	−11	2 strokes	Scott Simpson
	273	−11	Playoff	Gil Morgan
American Optical Classic
	275	−9	1 stroke	Ben Crenshaw
	270	−14	2 strokes	Raymond Floyd Gil Morgan
Pleasant Valley Classic
	271	−13	1 stroke	Jack Nicklaus
	277	−7	1 stroke	Ben Crenshaw
	276	−8	1 stroke	Mac McLendon
	278	−6	1 stroke	Tom Weiskopf
USI Classic
	279	−9	2 strokes	Lee Elder Tom Jenkins Rik Massengale
	275	−13	3 strokes	Lee Elder
Massachusetts Classic
	275	−13	1 stroke	Raymond Floyd
AVCO Golf Classic
	277	−11	3 strokes	Rod Funseth Tom Weiskopf
	280	−4	1 stroke	Bob Stanton