| The International | |
| Location: | Castle Rock, Colorado |
| Establishment: | 1986 |
| Course: | Castle Pines Golf Club |
| Par: | 72 |
| Yardage: | [1] |
| Tour: | PGA Tour |
| Format: | Modified Stableford[2] |
| Month Played: | August |
| Final Year: | 2006 |
| Final Champion: |  Dean Wilson |
| Map: | USA#USA Colorado |
| Map Label: | Castle Pines GC |
| Map Relief: | yes |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Coordinates: | 39.441°N -104.899°W |
The International (styled as The INTERNATIONAL) was a professional golf tournament in Colorado on the PGA Tour. It was played for 21 seasons, from 1986 through 2006, at the Castle Pines Golf Club at Castle Pines Village in Castle Rock, south of Denver.
It had the distinction of being one of two PGA Tour events not conducted at traditional stroke play, the only other exception is the match-play event, the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. The International was the only tournament to use the Modified Stableford scoring system,[2] enacted because of the significant elevation of the venue, which averages 6300feet above sea level.
Beginning in 2007, the International was scheduled to change dates to be played during the first full weekend of July (July 5–8, and July 4–7, 2008), midway between the U.S. Open and the British Open. Tournament officials hoped this new date would draw even more top-ranked players, such as Tiger Woods, as it would no longer be contested the week before (or after) the year's final major (PGA Championship). Even with the change in dates, both tournament founder Jack A. Vickers and the membership of the club were apparently not happy with the overall direction the PGA Tour was taking.[3] [4]
On February 8, 2007, the PGA Tour announced the permanent cancellation of the International.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] It was replaced by the AT&T National, hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation, and held in the Washington, D.C. area; near sea level and at standard stroke play.
The Modified Stableford scoring system returned to the PGA Tour in 2012 at the Reno–Tahoe Open, also at high elevation.
The Modified Stableford system awards points on each hole, based on the score relative to par. It is designed to reward aggressive play, taking chances to go for birdies (or better), as the reward for a low score on a hole is typically greater than the punishment for a poor score. For example, over a two-hole span, a birdie (+2) and a bogey (−1) gain one point, where two pars gain nothing. The scoring operates as follows:[2] [8]
| Strokes vs. par | Name | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 under | Albatross (double eagle) | +8 | |
| 2 under | +5 | ||
| 1 under | +2 | ||
| Even | 0 | ||
| 1 over | −1 | ||
| 2 over + | Double bogey or more | −3 |
The International used several different formats throughout its history. Until 1993, final-round scores alone determined the winner; additionally, the event had multiple cuts in every year except 2005.[10]
| Year | Winner | Score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The International | ||||||
| 34 points | Playoff | Tom Lehman | 990,000 | |||
| 32 points | 1 point | Brandt Jobe | 900,000 | |||
| 31 points | 2 points |  Alex Čejka | 900,000 | |||
| Davis Love III (2) | 46 points | 12 points |  Retief Goosen Vijay Singh | 900,000 | ||
| 44 points | 1 point | Steve Lowery | 810,000 | |||
| 34 points | 1 point | Chris Riley | 720,000 | |||
| 48 points | 4 points | Phil Mickelson | 630,000 | |||
| Sprint International | ||||||
| 47 points | 3 points | David Duval | 468,000 | |||
| 47 points | 6 points | Phil Mickelson Willie Wood | 360,000 | |||
| Phil Mickelson (2) | 48 points | 7 points |  Stuart Appleby | 306,000 | ||
| 31 points | Playoff | Brad Faxon | 288,000 | |||
| 34 points | 1 point | Ernie Els | 270,000 | |||
| 35 points | Playoff | Rick Fehr | 252,000 | |||
| The International | ||||||
| 45 points | 8 points | Mark Calcavecchia | 234,000 | |||
| 14 points | 2 points | Lee Janzen | 216,000 | |||
| 10 points | 3 points | Ian Baker-Finch Scott Gump Bob Lohr | 198,000 | |||
| 14 points | 3 points | Steve Pate Eduardo Romero Peter Senior | 180,000 | |||
| 13 points | 2 points | Clarence Rose | 180,000 | |||
| 17 points | 4 points | Steve Pate Dan Pohl | 180,000 | |||
| 11 points | 2 points | Ken Green | 180,000 | |||
| 12 points | 3 points | Bernhard Langer | 180,000 | |||