Olympia Open Explained

Nike Puget Sound Open
Location:Olympia, Washington
Establishment:1996
Course:Indian Summer Golf and Country Club
Par:72
Tour:Nike Tour
Format:Stroke play
Month Played:October
Final Year:1997
Aggregate:273 Michael Clark II (1996)
To-Par:−15 as above
Final Champion: Kevin Johnson
Map:USA#USA Washington
Map Label:Indian Summer G&CC
Map Relief:yes
Map Size:200
Coordinates:46.994°N -122.839°W

The Olympia Open was a golf tournament on the Nike Tour from 1996 to 1997. It was played at Indian Summer Golf & Country Club in Olympia, Washington, which opened in 1992.[1]

The 1996 edition had a $200,000 prize pot and was the last event on the Nike Tour. It was disrupted by an anti-Nike protest group with 50 people who attempted to enter the venue.[2] Michael Clark II won the tournament and its $36,000 prize.[3] The 1997 edition was renamed to the Nike Puget Sound Open and was won by Kevin Johnson. The second edition of the tournament was also disrupted by 150 protesters opposed to Nike's labor practices.[4] The PGA announced that they would not return to Olympia for 1998 in favor of a new tournament at the Shadow Hills Country Club in Junction City, Oregon.[5]

Winners

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
Nike Puget Sound Open
198 −18 Playoff Michael Clark II
Steve Jurgensen
Nike Olympia Open
273 −15 4 strokes Eric Johnson

Notes and References

  1. News: Wood . Gail . September 29, 1996 . Tomorrow's Dalys, today . B3 . . . November 6, 2024.
  2. News: Smith . Craig . October 7, 1996 . Anti-Nike protesters disrupt golf tournament . B3 . The Seattle Times.
  3. News: Smith . Craig . October 7, 1996 . Clark misses protest, makes putts to win . C5 . The Seattle Times.
  4. News: Liebetrau . Heidi T. . October 6, 1997 . Protesters rally at Nike tourney . C1 . The Olympian . Newspapers.com . November 6, 2024.
  5. News: Ramsdell . Paul . March 3, 1998 . Nike Tour pulls out of Olympia . C2 . . Newspapers.com . November 6, 2024.