Houston Tournament Historical Data
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There are a total of 9259 records in this database.
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Houston Golf Association Historical Moments
Compiled by Burt Darden

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1951's Time Line

 1951
February 25 Perhaps the early PGA TOUR was not cut out for country club life. The Houston Open moved back to Memorial Park Municipal the week of Feb. 22-25 and Marty Furgol shot 11-under-par 277 to beat hometown hero Jack Burke Jr. and Ed Oliver by a shot.

 1952
February 24 Houston got its first ever hometown champion the when Jack Burke Jr. won by six shots over amateur Frank Stranahan at Memorial Park. Having won the week prior in San Antonio, the win in Houston was the second in a string that would reach four straight. He also triumphed in Baton Rouge and Petersburg.

 1953
March 2 The Houston Golf Association doubled the purse to $20,000 and the players doubled the action. The first five-way playoff in PGA TOUR history took place, stretching tournament week at Memorial Park to Feb. 26-March 2. In order to tie at 5-under-par 283 the following took place on the 72nd hole: Eventual winner Cary Middlecoff missed a 3-footer for par; Jim Ferrier three-putted for a bogey; Shelly Mayfield missed a 6-footer for par; Earl Stewart birdied from 6-feet; and Bill Nary two-putted from 40 feet. In the Monday 18-hole playoff Middlecoff shot 69, Mayfield and Ferrier 71 Stewart 72 and Nary 75.

 1954
March 7 The purse escalated to $30,000 and the tournament dates moved to the first full week of March. Dave Douglas, lean and lanky at 6-feet, 2-inches and 165 pounds, lopped eight shots off par the last two rounds to win with an 11-under-par 277 total by two over Cary Middlecoff.

 1955
February 27 The tournament moved back into February. Burly Mike Souchak, the former Purdue football player, shot 7-under-par the last round for a 15-under-par 273 total and a three-shot victory over diminutive Jerry Barber.

 1956
February 26 Ted Kroll broke par every round for an 11-under-par 277 total and a three-shot victory over former winners Jack Burke Jr. and Dave Douglas. Kroll would go on to lead the money list that year with $72,836, marking the first time a Houston Open winner finished in that lofty position. Later that year Burke punched a ticket that would eventually lead him to the Hall of Fame by winning both The Masters and PGA Championship. Coincidentally, Burke would defeat Kroll in the PGA Championship finals by a 3 and 2 margin in the match play format. 

 1957
February 25 Popular Arnold Palmer showed why he would be king, firing a three-under-par 69 for a nine-under-par 279 total and the winner's share of a $37,100 purse. Palmer would go on to win three more times that year. A 20-year-old Australian named Bruce Crampton cashed his first PGA TOUR check of $693.75. He would later win twice in Houston and become a professional golf millionaire.

 1958
February 24 Memorial Park yielded a surprise winner and a tournament with a new name. After shooting over par the second and third rounds, Ed "Porky" Oliver closed with a 5-under-par 67 to finish at 281, two shots ahead of Roberto de Vicenzo and Jay Hebert in the event named the Houston Open International. Houston Golf Association officials were beginning to wonder if the last-week-of February dates were hurting attendance.

 1959
April 19 Moved into April to take advantage of warmer weather, the tournament changed its name to the Houston Classic. It produced another two-time winner in Jack Burke Jr. Burke and Julius Boros finished at 11-under-par 277. Burke shot 64 and Boros 68 in the Monday playoff.

 1960
May 2 Bill Collins felt as if he had done battle with an army en route to his victory in the Houston Classic, the first HGA-promoted event to finish in the month of May. Collins stumbled to a 72 the last round and ended up tied with Arnold Palmer at 8-under-par 280. Collins beat Palmer and Arnie's Army 69-71 in the $36,440 tournament. Gary Player, a young South African, cashed his first Houston Open check of $1,800 for a fourth-place tie.


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