Walt Disney World Golf Classic Explained

Walt Disney World Golf Classic
Location:Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Establishment:1971
Course:Walt Disney World Resort
(Magnolia & Palm courses)
Par:72
Yardage:7516yd (Magnolia)
6957yd (Palm)
Tour:PGA Tour
Format:Stroke play
Final Year:2012
Month Played:November
To-Par:Individual:
−26 as above
Team:
−42 as above
Final Champion: Charlie Beljan
Map:USA#USA Florida
Map Label:Walt Disney World Resort
Map Relief:yes
Map Size:200
Coordinates:28.403°N -81.592°W

The Walt Disney World Golf Classic was an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The tournament was played on the Palm and Magnolia courses at the Walt Disney World Resort. It was played under several names, reflecting sponsorship changes.

The tournament was founded in 1971 as the Walt Disney World Open Invitational. From 1974 to 1981, the tournament was played as a two-man team event with a better-ball format. Title sponsors have included Oldsmobile, National Car Rental, Funai,[1] and Children's Miracle Network.[2]

From 2007 to 2012, it was the final event in the PGA Tour Fall Series, and also the final official event of the PGA Tour season. As such, it was a final chance for many players to earn or retain a PGA Tour card through winning or getting into the top 125 on the Tour's money list. The 2010 and 2012 winners, Robert Garrigus and Charlie Beljan respectively, were both outside the top 125 before their wins.

The tournament was removed from the PGA Tour schedule for the 2013–14 wrap-around season after Children's Miracle Network declined to renew their sponsorship and no others were found.[3]

The 2012 purse was $4,700,000, with $846,000 going to the winner.

Television

The event was televised by ESPN and ABC Sports, until the demotion of the event to the Fall Series in 2007, when it was relegated to cable-only on the Golf Channel. While ESPN and ABC, which are owned by Disney, covered both courses as a form of publicity for both, the Golf Channel covered only the Magnolia course with highlight packages sent in from the Palm. However, this is the manner in which the network has always covered tournaments with multiple venues.

Courses

The Magnolia Course at Walt Disney World is known as more "tour"-style than its sister the Palm Course. The Palm course is known as the prettier of the two, however. In the 2006 telecast, one commentator is quoted as saying that the Palm course has the better greens of the two courses. The Magnolia has grown to 7,516 yards to battle the usual low scores during the tournament's history.

The nearby Lake Buena Vista golf course has also been part of the tournament, along with the Palm and Magnolia.

Winners

YearWinner(s)ScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic
272 −16 2 strokes 846,000
271 −17 2 strokes 846,000
Children's Miracle Network Classic
267 −21 3 strokes 846,000
Stephen Ames (2) 270 −18 Playoff 846,000
263 −25 1 stroke 828,000
271 −17 1 stroke 828,000
Funai Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort
263 −25 4 strokes 828,000
265 −23 1 stroke 792,000
266 −22 3 strokes 756,000
265 −23 4 strokes 720,000
Disney Golf Classic
263 −25 1 stroke 666,000
National Car Rental Golf Classic Disney
265 −23 1 stroke 612,000
262 −26 1 stroke 540,000
Tiger Woods (2) 271 −17 1 stroke 450,000
John Huston (2) 272 −16 1 stroke 360,000
Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic
270 −18 Playoff 270,000
267 −21 1 stroke 216,000
198 −18 1 stroke 216,000
269 −19 2 strokes 198,000
265 −23 3 strokes 198,000
262 −26 3 strokes 180,000
267 −21 1 stroke 180,000
Tim Simpson (2) 264 −24 1 stroke 180,000
272 −16 1 stroke 144,000
263 −25 Playoff 126,000
Larry Nelson (2) 268 −20 1 stroke 108,000
275 −13 Playoff 90,000
267 −21 1 stroke 72,000
Walt Disney World Golf Classic
266 −22 1 stroke 72,000
269 −19 2 strokes 72,000
269 −19 Playoff 72,000
Walt Disney World National Team Championship
246 −42 5 strokes 36,000
(each)
253 −35 2 strokes 31,500
(each)
255 −33 3 strokes 22,500
(each)
254 −34 3 strokes 20,000
(each)
253 −35 1 stroke 20,000
(each)
260 −28 Playoff 20,000
(each)
252 −36 3 strokes 20,000
(each)
255 −33 1 stroke 25,000
(each)
Walt Disney World Golf Classic
Jack Nicklaus (3) 275 −13 1 stroke 30,000
Walt Disney World Open Invitational
Jack Nicklaus (2) 267 −21 9 strokes 30,000
273 −15 3 strokes 30,000

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Flat-screen Tvs Go To Nonprofits . March 11, 2006 . Orlando Sentinel .
  2. http://www.pgatour.com/2007/tournaments/r045/07/25/disney/index.html Tour's final stop renamed Children's Miracle Network Classic
  3. http://www.golf.com/ap-news/pga-tour-dumps-event-disney Disney no longer part of PGA Tour