Walt Disney World Golf Classic
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.
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lake Buena Vista, Florida |
| Established | 1971 |
| Course(s) | Walt Disney World Resort (Magnolia & Palm courses) |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,516 yards (6,873 m) (Magnolia) 6,957 yards (6,361 m) (Palm) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | US$4,700,000 |
| Month played | November |
| Final year | 2012 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | Individual: 262 John Huston (1992) 262 Duffy Waldorf (2000) Team: 246 Vance Heafner and Mike Holland (1981) |
| To par | Individual: −26 as above Team: −42 as above |
| Final champion | |
 Charlie Beljan | |
| Location Map | |
  Walt Disney World Resort Location in the United States  Walt Disney World Resort Location in Florida | |
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 $846,000 going to the winner.
Television
The event was televised by ESPN and ABC Sports, until the demotion of the event to the Fall Series in 2007, when it was relegated to cable-only on the Golf Channel. While ESPN and ABC, which are owned by Disney, covered both courses as a form of publicity for both, the Golf Channel covered only the Magnolia course with highlight packages sent in from the Palm. However, this is the manner in which the network has always covered tournaments with multiple venues.
Courses
The Magnolia Course at Walt Disney World is known as more "tour"-style than its sister the Palm Course. The Palm course is known as the prettier of the two, however. In the 2006 telecast, one commentator is quoted as saying that the Palm course has the better greens of the two courses. The Magnolia has grown to 7,516 yards to battle the usual low scores during the tournament's history.
The nearby Lake Buena Vista golf course has also been part of the tournament, along with the Palm and Magnolia.
Winners
| Year | Winner(s)[lower-alpha 1] | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic | |||||||
| 2012 | Charlie Beljan | 272 | −16 | 2 strokes | Matt Every Robert Garrigus | 846,000 | |
| 2011 |  Luke Donald | 271 | −17 | 2 strokes | Justin Leonard | 846,000 | |
| Children's Miracle Network Classic | |||||||
| 2010 | Robert Garrigus | 267 | −21 | 3 strokes | Roland Thatcher | 846,000 | |
| 2009 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Stephen Ames (2) | 270 | −18 | Playoff | Justin Leonard George McNeill | 846,000 | |
| 2008 | Davis Love III | 263 | −25 | 1 stroke | Tommy Gainey | 828,000 | |
| 2007 | Stephen Ames | 271 | −17 | 1 stroke |  Tim Clark | 828,000 | |
| Funai Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort | |||||||
| 2006 | Joe Durant | 263 | −25 | 4 strokes | Frank Lickliter Troy Matteson | 828,000 | |
| 2005 | Lucas Glover | 265 | −23 | 1 stroke | Tom Pernice Jr. | 792,000 | |
| 2004 | Ryan Palmer | 266 | −22 | 3 strokes | Briny Baird Vijay Singh | 756,000 | |
| 2003 | Vijay Singh | 265 | −23 | 4 strokes | Stewart Cink Scott Verplank Tiger Woods | 720,000 | |
| Disney Golf Classic | |||||||
| 2002 | Bob Burns | 263 | −25 | 1 stroke | Chris DiMarco | 666,000 | |
| National Car Rental Golf Classic Disney | |||||||
| 2001 |  José Cóceres | 265 | −23 | 1 stroke | Davis Love III | 612,000 | |
| 2000 | Duffy Waldorf | 262 | −26 | 1 stroke | Steve Flesch | 540,000 | |
| 1999 | Tiger Woods (2) | 271 | −17 | 1 stroke | Ernie Els | 450,000 | |
| 1998 | John Huston (2) | 272 | −16 | 1 stroke | Davis Love III | 360,000 | |
| Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic | |||||||
| 1997 | David Duval | 270 | −18 | Playoff | Dan Forsman | 270,000 | |
| 1996 | Tiger Woods | 267 | −21 | 1 stroke | Payne Stewart | 216,000 | |
| 1995 | Brad Bryant | 198[lower-alpha 2] | −18 | 1 stroke | Hal Sutton Ted Tryba | 216,000 | |
| 1994 | Rick Fehr | 269 | −19 | 2 strokes | Craig Stadler Fuzzy Zoeller | 198,000 | |
| 1993 | Jeff Maggert | 265 | −23 | 3 strokes | Greg Kraft | 198,000 | |
| 1992 | John Huston | 262 | −26 | 3 strokes | Mark O'Meara | 180,000 | |
| 1991 | Mark O'Meara | 267 | −21 | 1 stroke | David Peoples | 180,000 | |
| 1990 | Tim Simpson (2) | 264 | −24 | 1 stroke | John Mahaffey | 180,000 | |
| 1989 | Tim Simpson | 272 | −16 | 1 stroke | Donnie Hammond | 144,000 | |
| 1988 | Bob Lohr | 263 | −25 | Playoff | Chip Beck | 126,000 | |
| 1987 | Larry Nelson (2) | 268 | −20 | 1 stroke | Morris Hatalsky Mark O'Meara | 108,000 | |
| 1986 | Raymond Floyd | 275 | −13 | Playoff | Lon Hinkle Mike Sullivan | 90,000 | |
| 1985 | Lanny Wadkins | 267 | −21 | 1 stroke | Mike Donald Scott Hoch | 72,000 | |
| Walt Disney World Golf Classic | |||||||
| 1984 | Larry Nelson | 266 | −22 | 1 stroke | Hubert Green | 72,000 | |
| 1983 | Payne Stewart | 269 | −19 | 2 strokes | Nick Faldo Mark McCumber | 72,000 | |
| 1982 | Hal Sutton | 269 | −19 | Playoff | Bill Britton | 72,000 | |
| Walt Disney World National Team Championship | |||||||
| 1981 | Vance Heafner and Mike Holland | 246 | −42 | 5 strokes | Chip Beck and Rex Caldwell | 36,000 (each) | |
| 1980 | Danny Edwards and David Edwards | 253 | −35 | 2 strokes | Gibby Gilbert and Grier Jones Dan Halldorson and Dana Quigley Mike Harmon and Barry Harwell | 31,500 (each) | |
| 1979 | George Burns and Ben Crenshaw | 255 | −33 | 3 strokes | Peter Jacobsen and D. A. Weibring Jeff Hewes and Sammy Rachels Scott Bess and Dan Halldorson | 22,500 (each) | |
| 1978 | Wayne Levi and Bob Mann | 254 | −34 | 3 strokes | Bobby Wadkins and Lanny Wadkins | 20,000 (each) | |
| 1977 | Gibby Gilbert and Grier Jones | 253 | −35 | 1 stroke | Steve Melnyk and Andy North | 20,000 (each) | |
| 1976 | Woody Blackburn and Billy Kratzert | 260 | −28 | Playoff | Gay Brewer and Bobby Nichols | 20,000 (each) | |
| 1975 | Jim Colbert and Dean Refram | 252 | −36 | 3 strokes | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Bobby Cole and John Schlee Victor Regalado and Charlie Sifford | 20,000 (each) | |
| 1974 | Hubert Green and Mac McLendon | 255 | −33 | 1 stroke | Sam Snead and J. C. Snead Ed Sneed and Bert Yancey | 25,000 (each) | |
| Walt Disney World Golf Classic | |||||||
| 1973 | Jack Nicklaus (3) | 275 | −13 | 1 stroke | Mason Rudolph | 30,000 | |
| Walt Disney World Open Invitational | |||||||
| 1972 | Jack Nicklaus (2) | 267 | −21 | 9 strokes | Jim Dent Bobby Mitchell Larry Wood | 30,000 | |
| 1971 | Jack Nicklaus | 273 | −15 | 3 strokes | Deane Beman | 30,000 | |
Notes
- Between 1974–1981, the Walt Disney World Golf Classic was a two-player team event.
- Shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
References
- "Flat-screen Tvs Go To Nonprofits". Orlando Sentinel. March 11, 2006.
- Tour's final stop renamed Children's Miracle Network Classic
- Disney no longer part of PGA Tour