St. Petersburg Open Invitational

The St. Petersburg Open Invitational, first played as the St. Petersburg Open, was a PGA Tour event that was held at three St. Petersburg, Florida area clubs for 29 years from 1930 until 1964.[1] The clubs that hosted the event were: Lakewood Country Club (now known as St. Petersburg Country Club),[2] Pasadena Country Club (now known as Pasadena Yacht and Country Club), and Sunset Golf Club of the Vinoy Park Hotel (now known as the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club).[1]

St. Petersburg Open Invitational
Tournament information
LocationSt. Petersburg, Florida
Established1930
Course(s)Lakewood Country Club
Par72
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$25,000
Month playedMarch
Final year1964
Tournament record score
Aggregate261 Bob Goalby (1961)
To par−23 as above
Final champion
Australia Bruce Devlin
Location Map
Lakewood Country Club is located in the United States
Lakewood Country Club
Lakewood Country Club
Location in the United States
Lakewood Country Club is located in Florida
Lakewood Country Club
Lakewood Country Club
Location in Florida

Bob Goalby won[3] the 1961 event after making eight consecutive birdies in the final round, a PGA Tour record at the time. Other golfers tied Goalby's mark but nobody surpassed it till 2009.[4] In 1963, Raymond Floyd won the event at 20 years 6 months of age becoming the youngest player to win a PGA Tour event since 1928.[1][5]

Bruce Devlin, an Australian golfer who had recently moved to the United States, won the first of his eight PGA Tour titles at the last one in 1964. The tournament succumbed to financial pressure when the St. Petersburg City Council voted to postpone a decision on sponsorship of the 1965 event, and then Jacksonville announced the resumption of the Jacksonville Open during week the tournament was to be held.[1]

Tournament hosts
CourseYears
Lakewood Country Club1930 (co-host), 1933 (co-host), 1936 (co-host), 1938, 1940, 1942, 1948, 1952, 1955–56, 1959–60, 1962–64
Jungle Country Club1930 (co-host)
Pasadena Country Club1932, 1933 (co-host), 1934, 1936 (co-host), 1937, 1939, 1941, 1947, 1949–51, 1953, 1957–58, 1961
Sunset Golf Club at Vinoy Park1946

Winners
YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)
St. Petersburg Open Invitational
1964Australia Bruce Devlin272−164 strokesUnited States Dan Sikes3,300
1963United States Raymond Floyd274−141 strokeUnited States Dave Marr3,500
1962United States Bobby Nichols272−162 strokesUnited States Frank Boynton2,800
1961United States Bob Goalby261−233 strokesUnited States Ted Kroll2,800
1960United States George Bayer282−6PlayoffUnited States Jack Fleck2,000
1959United States Cary Middlecoff (2)275−133 strokesUnited States Pete Cooper2,000
1958United States Arnold Palmer276−81 strokeUnited States Dow Finsterwald
United States Fred Hawkins		2,000
St. Petersburg Open
1957United States Pete Cooper269−154 strokesUnited States Jack Burke Jr.1,700
1956United States Mike Fetchick275−13PlayoffUnited States Lionel Hebert2,200
1955United States Cary Middlecoff274−142 strokesUnited States Jay Hebert2,200
1954: No tournament
1953United States Dutch Harrison266−181 strokeUnited States Chick Harbert
United States Dick Mayer		2,000
1952United States Jack Burke Jr. (2)266−228 strokesUnited States Al Besselink2,000
1951Australia Jim Ferrier268−166 strokesUnited States Al Brosch2,000
1950United States Jack Burke Jr.272−121 strokeUnited States Chick Harbert2,000
1949United States Pete Cooper275−91 strokeUnited States Cary Middlecoff2,000
1948United States Lawson Little272−163 strokesSouth Africa Bobby Locke2,000
1947United States Jimmy Demaret (2)280−43 strokesAustralia Jim Ferrier2,000
1946United States Ben Hogan269−155 strokesUnited States Sam Snead2,000
1943–1945: No tournament due to World War II
1942United States Sam Snead (3)286−23 strokesUnited States Sam Byrd
United States Chick Harbert
United States Byron Nelson		1,000
1941United States Sam Snead (2)279−52 strokesUnited States Herman Barron
United States Chick Harbert
United States Ben Hogan
United States Jug McSpaden		1,200
1940United States Jimmy Demaret211−21 strokeUnited States Byron Nelson700
1939United States Sam Snead207−9PlayoffUnited States Henry Picard700
1938United States Johnny Revolta282−2PlayoffUnited States Chandler Harper700
1937England Harry Cooper284−4PlayoffUnited States Ralph Guldahl
United States Horton Smith		700
1936United States Leonard Dodson283−3PlayoffUnited States Harry Cooper500
1935: No tournament
1934United States Paul Runyan141−33 strokesUnited States Bill Mehlhorn200
1933United States Bob Stupple144+11 strokeUnited States Denny Shute
United States Al Watrous		275
1932Scotland Willie Macfarlane209−71 strokeUnited States Dave Hackney500
1931: No tournament
1930United States Jock Collins141+11 strokeUnited States Horton Smith
United States Frank Walsh		1,000

References
  1. "St. Petersburg Open left legacy". St. Petersburg Times. October 15, 2000. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
  2. "St. Petersburg Country Club Our Golf Course". St. Petersburg Country Club. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  3. Goalby cards 8 consecutive birdies to win at St. Pete
  4. Most Consecutive Birdies in a PGA Tour Tournament
  5. "USGA History:1951–1970". Archived from the original on 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
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