Atlanta Classic

The Atlanta Classic was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour, a regular stop in suburban Atlanta for over four decades. It was founded in 1967, although previous events dating to 1934 are included in the PGA Tour's past winners list. AT&T was the last title sponsor of the tournament.

AT&T Classic
Tournament information
LocationDuluth, Georgia
Established1934
Course(s)TPC Sugarloaf
Par72
Length7,179 yards (6,564 m)[1]
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$5,500,000
Month playedMay
Final year2008
Tournament record score
Aggregate260 Phil Mickelson (2006)
To par−28 as above
Final champion
Japan Ryuji Imada
Location Map
TPC Sugarloaf is located in the United States
TPC Sugarloaf
TPC Sugarloaf
Location in the United States
TPC Sugarloaf is located in Georgia
TPC Sugarloaf
TPC Sugarloaf
Location in Georgia

From 1967 to 1996, it was played at the Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, northwest of Atlanta. From 1997 to 2008, it was played over the Stables and Meadows nines at TPC at Sugarloaf in Duluth, northeast of Atlanta.

For most of its years, the Atlanta tournament was usually held in May. From 1999 to 2006, it was moved to early April, the week before the Masters. Its final two editions were in mid-May, a week after the Players Championship (which was moved from late March). The tournament was cancelled after the 2008 season.[2]

This event is not to be confused with the AT&T Champions Classic played in Valencia, California, a Champions Tour (now PGA Tour Champions) tournament which bore the "AT&T Classic" name in 2006, prior to AT&T's acquisition of BellSouth. It was cancelled after the 2009 season.

TPC Sugarloaf currently hosts an annual PGA Tour Champions event, the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, which debuted in 2013.

Tournament highlights

  • 1967: Bob Charles wins the first modern era PGA Tour event played in Atlanta. He finishes two shots ahead of Gardner Dickinson, Tommy Bolt, and Richard Crawford.[3]
  • 1968; Bob Lunn is victorious for the second straight week on the PGA Tour. He wins by three shots over Lee Trevino.[4]
  • 1970: Georgia native Tommy Aaron wins by one shot over Dan Sikes.[5] Tom Weiskopf came to the 72nd hole tied with Aaron but closed with a double bogey.
  • 1972: Bob Lunn becomes the tournament's first repeat winner. He beats Gary Player by two shots.[6]
  • 1977: Hale Irwin becomes the first Atlanta champion to successfully defend his title. He beats Steve Veriato by two shots.[7]
  • 1979: Andy Bean shoots a third round 61 on his way to an 8-stroke victory over Joe Inman.[8]
  • 1980: Georgian Larry Nelson wins by seven shots over Don Pooley and defending champion Andy Bean.[9]
  • 1983: Calvin Peete shoots a final round 63, including a hole out for birdie from a bunker on the 71st hole. He wins by two shots over Chip Beck, Jim Colbert, and Don Pooley.[10]
  • 1986: Bob Tway shoots a final round 64 to win by two shots over Hal Sutton.[11]
  • 1988: Larry Nelson birdies the 72nd hole to become a two-time winner of the tournament. He edges Chip Beck by one shot.[12]
  • 1990: Wayne Levi birdies the 72nd hole in near darkness to earn his first PGA Tour win in five years. He finishes one shot ahead of Nick Price, Keith Clearwater, and Larry Mize.[13]
  • 1992: Tom Kite begins the final round bogey-bogey before making six consecutive birdies on his way to a three shot victory over Jay Don Blake.[14] Amateur David Duval, a junior at Georgia Tech held the 54 hole lead[15] by two strokes before shooting a final round 79 to finish T13.[16]
  • 1994: John Daly wins by one shot over Brian Henninger and defending champion Nolan Henke. Afterwards Daly says "This is the first tournament I've won on the PGA Tour in a sober fashion."[17]
  • 1996: Sixth alternate Paul Stankowski birdies the first sudden death playoff hole to defeat Brandel Chamblee.[18]
  • 1998: Tiger Woods notches his only victory of the year in Atlanta. He finishes one shot ahead of Jay Don Blake.[19]
  • 2000: Phil Mickelson wins for the first time in Atlanta. He birdies the first hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Gary Nicklaus.[20]
  • 2003: Ben Crane shoots a final round 63 to win by four shots over Bob Tway.[21]
  • 2006: Mickelson dominates the field, using two drivers in preparation for the Masters the following week. He concluded with an eagle on the 72nd hole to post a score of 28-under-par, a career best. Mickelson won by 13 strokes over José María Olazábal and Zach Johnson, and would go on to win the Masters the next week.
  • 2007: Zach Johnson seems to like playing golf in Georgia. His third career PGA Tour victory like his first two, the 2004 BellSouth Classic and the 2007 Masters Tournament take place in the state. He defeats Ryuji Imada on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.[22]
  • 2008: The last version of the tournament sees Ryuji Imada win in a sudden death playoff over Kenny Perry.[23]

Winners

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)
AT&T Classic
2008Japan Ryuji Imada273−15PlayoffUnited States Kenny Perry990,000
2007United States Zach Johnson (2)273−15PlayoffJapan Ryuji Imada972,000
BellSouth Classic
2006United States Phil Mickelson (3)260−2813 strokesUnited States Zach Johnson
Spain José María Olazábal
954,000
2005United States Phil Mickelson (2)208−8PlayoffIndia Arjun Atwal
United States Rich Beem
United States Brandt Jobe
Spain José María Olazábal
900,000
2004United States Zach Johnson275−131 strokeAustralia Mark Hensby810,000
2003United States Ben Crane272−164 strokesUnited States Bob Tway720,000
2002South Africa Retief Goosen272−164 strokesSweden Jesper Parnevik684,000
2001United States Scott McCarron (2)280−83 strokesCanada Mike Weir594,000
2000United States Phil Mickelson205−11PlayoffUnited States Gary Nicklaus504,000
1999United States David Duval270−182 strokesUnited States Stewart Cink450,000
1998United States Tiger Woods271−171 strokeUnited States Jay Don Blake324,000
1997United States Scott McCarron274−143 strokesUnited States David Duval
United States Brian Henninger
United States Lee Janzen
270,000
1996United States Paul Stankowski280−8PlayoffUnited States Brandel Chamblee234,000
1995United States Mark Calcavecchia271−172 strokesUnited States Jim Gallagher Jr.234,000
1994United States John Daly274−141 strokeUnited States Nolan Henke
United States Brian Henninger
216,000
1993United States Nolan Henke271−172 strokesUnited States Mark Calcavecchia
Zimbabwe Nick Price
United States Tom Sieckmann
216,000
1992United States Tom Kite (2)272−163 strokesUnited States Jay Don Blake180,000
BellSouth Atlanta Golf Classic
1991United States Corey Pavin272−16PlayoffUnited States Steve Pate180,000
1990United States Wayne Levi (2)275−131 strokeUnited States Keith Clearwater
United States Larry Mize
Zimbabwe Nick Price
180,000
1989United States Scott Simpson278−10PlayoffUnited States Bob Tway162,000
Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Golf Classic
1988United States Larry Nelson (2)268−201 strokeUnited States Chip Beck126,000
1987Canada Dave Barr265−234 strokesUnited States Larry Mize108,000
1986United States Bob Tway269−192 strokesUnited States Hal Sutton90,000
1985United States Wayne Levi273−15PlayoffUnited States Steve Pate90,000
1984United States Tom Kite269−195 strokesUnited States Don Pooley72,000
1983United States Calvin Peete206−102 strokesUnited States Chip Beck
United States Jim Colbert
United States Don Pooley
72,000
1982United States Keith Fergus273−15PlayoffUnited States Raymond Floyd54,000
Atlanta Classic
1981United States Tom Watson277−11PlayoffUnited States Tommy Valentine54,000
1980United States Larry Nelson270−187 strokesUnited States Andy Bean
United States Don Pooley
54,000
1979United States Andy Bean265−238 strokesUnited States Joe Inman54,000
1978United States Jerry Heard269−192 strokesUnited States Lou Graham
United States Bob Murphy
United States Tom Watson
40,000
1977United States Hale Irwin (2)273−151 strokeUnited States Steve Veriato40,000
1976: No tournament
1975United States Hale Irwin271−174 strokesUnited States Tom Watson45,000
1974: Atlanta Country Club hosted the Tournament Players Championship
1973United States Jack Nicklaus272−162 strokesUnited States Tom Weiskopf30,000
1972United States Bob Lunn (2)275−132 strokesSouth Africa Gary Player26,000
1971United States Gardner Dickinson275−13PlayoffUnited States Jack Nicklaus25,000
1970United States Tommy Aaron275−131 strokeUnited States Dan Sikes25,000
1969United States Bert Yancey277−11PlayoffAustralia Bruce Devlin23,000
1968United States Bob Lunn280−83 strokesUnited States Lee Trevino23,000
1967New Zealand Bob Charles282−62 strokesUnited States Tommy Bolt
United States Richard Crawford
United States Gardner Dickinson
22,000
1948–1966: No tournament
Atlanta Open
1947Italy Toney Penna281−31 strokeUnited States Jimmy Demaret2,000
Atlanta Invitational
1946United States Lew Worsham279−91 strokeUnited States Jimmy Demaret2,200
Atlanta Open
1945United States Byron Nelson263−139 strokesUnited States Sammy Byrd2,000
1935–1944: No tournament
1934United States Ky Laffoon286+66 strokesUnited States Johnny Golden500

References

33.998°N 84.109°W / 33.998; -84.109

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