| Esmeralda Open | |
| Location: | Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Establishment: | 1945 |
| Course: | Indian Canyon Golf Course |
| Par: | 70 - (1947) 72 - (1945) |
| Tour: | PGA Tour |
| Format: | Stroke play - 72 holes |
| Purse: | $10,000 |
| Month Played: | August (1947) September (1945) |
| Final Year: | 1947 |
| Aggregate: | 266 Byron Nelson (1945) |
| To-Par: | –22 Byron Nelson (1945) |
| Final Champion: |  Herman Keiser |
The Esmeralda Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour that was played in 1945 and 1947 in Spokane, Washington. It was held at Indian Canyon Golf Course, a municipal facility designed in 1930 by Chandler Egan[1] [2] on the west end of the city, and opened in 1935.[3] The Esmeralda Open was organized by the Spokane Athletic Round Table, a fraternal organization, headed by Joe Albi. The ART's emblem was a laughing horse named Esmeralda, which inspired the title of the charity tournament.[4] [5] The Round Table would later be instrumental in the construction of the city's Esmeralda Golf Course, opened in 1956 in northeast Spokane.[6] It also was the driving force behind Spokane Memorial Stadium, named for Albi in 1962.
The Esmeralda Open was held annually for over a decade, but most editions featured local and regional golfers, and was not part of the PGA Tour. The first in 1943 was a 54-hole event played at Downriver,[7] and the 1949 tournament included Bing Crosby,[8] who was raised in Spokane. It was not held in 1944, when the 1944 PGA Championship was played at Manito Golf and Country Club in south Spokane.[9] [10] In 1946, Spokane and the ART hosted the first U.S. Women's Open at the Spokane Country Club, north of the city.[11] An attempt was made to have the PGA Tour return in 1954,[12] but was unsuccessful.[13]
The second Esmeralda Open, and the first as a tour event, was held in September 1945. It was won by Byron Nelson by seven strokes over runner-up Harold "Jug" McSpaden, followed by Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. Nelson shot a 64 (–8) in the final round for a 266, an unofficial tour record at the time of 22-under par.[14] His winner's share of the $10,000 event was $1,500 in cash and $2,000 in war bonds.[15]
It was Nelson's sixteenth victory of 18 during his record-setting year.[16] Several course records were established at the 1945 tournament. McSpaden shot a course-record 30 on his final front nine and Snead shot a final-round 63 (–9) to set another course record.[15] [16]
For the 1947 event, par was changed to 70 and the tournament was played in early August. Herman Keiser shot a one-under 69 on Sunday to finish at 273 (–7), one stroke ahead of three runners-up: Ben Hogan, Ed Furgol, and Johnny Palmer. Hogan electrified the gallery with an ace at the 161yd fourth hole in the final round.[17] He shot a 68, but missed a putt for par from less than 2feet on the final hole that would have tied Keiser.[18]
| Year | Dates | Champion | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Purse ($) | Winner's share ($) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Sep 20–23 | 66-66-70-64=266 | –22 | 7 strokes | 10,000 | 1,500 (& $2,000 war bond) | |||
| 1947 | Aug 7–10 | 65-69-70-69=273 | –7 | 1 stroke | Ben Hogan Ed Furgol Johnny Palmer | 10,000 | 2,000 |