Pensacola Open

For the former Nationwide Tour event, see Pensacola Classic.

The Pensacola Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The inaugural version^[1] of the tournament was played in 1956 and its last edition in 1988.

Pensacola Open

Tournament information
Location	Gulf Breeze, Florida
Established	1956
Course(s)	Tiger Point Golf Club
Par	72
Length	7,033 yards (6,431 m)
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$400,000
Month played	October
Final year	1988
Tournament record score
Aggregate	262 Gay Brewer (1967)
To par	−26 as above
Final champion
Andrew Magee
Location map
Tiger Point GC Location in the United States Show map of the United States Tiger Point GC Location in Florida Show map of Florida

Tournament highlights

• 1960: Arnold Palmer birdies the 72nd hole to win by one shot over Doug Sanders. It is Palmer's third consecutive win in as many weeks.^[2]
• 1966: Defending champion Doug Sanders is ahead by four shots after 36 holes when he is disqualified for not signing his scorecard.^[3]
• 1967: Gay Brewer successfully defends his Pensacola Open. He shoots a then record 191 for 54 holes and wins by six shots over local pro Bob Keller.^[4]
• 1968: George Archer birdies the last three holes on Sunday on his way to a 65 and a one-shot win over Dave Marr and Tony Jacklin.^[5]
• 1972: Dave Hill wins for the first time in two years. He birdies the 72nd hole to beat Jerry Heard by one shot.^[6]
• 1974: Lee Elder birdies the 4th hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Peter Oosterhuis and win for the first time ever on the PGA Tour. With the win, Elder becomes the first black golfer to qualify for the Masters Tournament.^[7]
• 1979: Future two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange wins for the first time on the PGA Tour. He beats Billy Kratzert by one shot.^[8]
• 1981: Pensacola resident Jerry Pate wins by three shots over Steve Melnyk.^[9]
• 1982: Calvin Peete wins by seven shots over Hal Sutton and Dan Halldorson. It is Peete's 4th PGA Tour win for the year tying him for the most with Craig Stadler.^[10]
• 1986: As rain shortens the Pensacola Open to only 36 holes, Ernie Gonzalez becomes the first left-handed golfer to win on the PGA Tour since Bob Charles won the 1974 Greater Greensboro Open.^[11]
• 1988: Andrew Magee wins the last Pensacola Open. He beats Bruce Lietzke, Ken Green, and Tom Byrum by one shot.^[12]

Tournament hosts

This list is incomplete.

• 1988 Tiger Point Golf & Country Club in Gulf Breeze, Florida
• 1978–1987 Perdido Bay Country Club in Pensacola, Florida
• 1958–1977 Pensacola Country Club in Pensacola, Florida

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
Pensacola Open
1988	Andrew Magee	271	−17	1 stroke	Tom Byrum Ken Green Bruce Lietzke
1987	Doug Tewell	269	−15	3 strokes	Phil Blackmar Danny Edwards
1986	Ernie Gonzalez	128[a]	−14	1 stroke	Joey Sindelar
1985	Danny Edwards	269	−15	1 stroke	John Mahaffey Gil Morgan
1984	Billy Kratzert	270	−14	2 strokes	Ken Brown John Mahaffey
1983	Mark McCumber	266	−18	4 strokes	Lon Hinkle Mark Lye
1982	Calvin Peete	268	−16	7 strokes	Dan Halldorson Hal Sutton
1981	Jerry Pate	271	−17	3 strokes	Steve Melnyk
1980	Dan Halldorson	275	−13	2 strokes	Gary Hallberg Mike Sullivan
1979	Curtis Strange	271	−17	1 stroke	Billy Kratzert
1978	Mac McLendon	272	−16	Playoff	Mike Reid
1977	Leonard Thompson	268	−16	2 strokes	Curtis Strange
1976	Mark Hayes	275	−9	2 strokes	Lee Elder
1975	Jerry McGee	271	−13	2 strokes	Wally Armstrong
Monsanto Open
1974	Lee Elder	274	−10	Playoff	Peter Oosterhuis
1973	Homero Blancas	277	−11	1 stroke	Frank Beard
1972	Dave Hill	271	−13	1 stroke	Jerry Heard
1971	Gene Littler	276	−8	3 strokes	George Archer Pete Brown
1970	Dick Lotz	275	−9	3 strokes	Dave Stockton
Monsanto Open Invitational
1969	Jim Colbert	267	−17	2 strokes	Deane Beman
Pensacola Open Invitational
1968	George Archer	268	−20	1 stroke	Tony Jacklin Dave Marr
1967	Gay Brewer (2)	262	−26	6 strokes	Bob Keller
1966	Gay Brewer	272	−16	3 strokes	Bruce Devlin
1965	Doug Sanders (2)	277	−11	Playoff	Jack Nicklaus
1964	Gary Player	274	−14	Playoff	Miller Barber Arnold Palmer
1963	Arnold Palmer (2)	273	−15	2 strokes	Harold Kneece Gary Player
1962	Doug Sanders	270	−18	1 stroke	Don Fairfield
1961	Tommy Bolt	275	−13	2 strokes	Gary Player
1960	Arnold Palmer	273	−15	1 stroke	Doug Sanders
1959	Paul Harney	269	−19	3 strokes	Jay Hebert
1958	Doug Ford	278	−10	2 strokes	Ken Venturi Art Wall Jr.
1957	Art Wall Jr.	273	−15	2 strokes	Peter Thomson
1956	Don Fairfield	275	−13	2 strokes	Bo Wininger

Notes

1. Shortened to 36 holes due to rain.