Shell Houston Open: PGA TOUR Event, Houston, Texas

Past Winners:

Houston Golf Association Historical Moments
Compiled by Burt Darden

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1982's Time Line

1982
May 9	Ed Sneed, a Michelob staff player, got into the event on a sponsor exemption. Sneed made the most of it, winning the tournament in sudden-death. Australian Bob Shearer and Sneed had both finished at 9-under-par 275. Sneed made a birdie on the first playoff hole to capture what would be his final PGA TOUR victory.

1983
May 8	The local Coca-Cola Bottling Company took over sponsorship when Michelob balked at making a television buy. David Graham won the $400,000 Houston Coca-Cola Open with a 9-under-par 275 total, five shots in front of Lee Trevino. The HGA still donated a record $325,00 to local charity.

1984
April 29	Houston Coca-Cola Bottling Company and the HGA parted on friendly terms after Cory Pavin won the $500,000 tournament with a 10-under-par 274 total. Pavin would go on the claim PGA TOUR Rookie-of-the-Year honors. Coke USA was considering taking over sponsorship but decided against it when an Olympic promotion went awry. A mass murder at a California MacDonalds forced Coke and McDonalds eliminate a joint advertising campaign for a two-week period. It cost millions to re-print promotional material and re-cut television commercials.

1985
April 28	The Woodlands Corporation and the PGA TOUR signed a marketing agreement and the East Course became the Tournament Players Course at The Woodlands. With some spectator mounds added around the greens, the course achieved instant acceptance from the players. Raymond Floyd won the tournament with a 277 total. With no title sponsor, the tournament lost more than $300,000. To show its dedication to promoting golf for the benefit of local charities, the HGA borrowed $100,000 for a charitable donation.

1986
April 27	On the HGA's 40th Anniversary, 1946 champion Byron Nelson came to pay his respects. Masters champion Jack Nicklaus made his final Houston appearance and Tom Watson made his first appearance since 1972. More than 176,000 spectators turned out that week as ESPN televised all four days of action. Curtis Strange won his second Houston title, beating Calvin Peete with a birdie on the third hole of sudden-death. Peete did not make a single bogey in 75 holes of play. Later that fall the Independent Insurance Agents of America signed to become title sponsor.

1987
April 26	Jay Haas won the Big "I" Houston Open, or Buddy Gardner lost it. Haas holed a 65-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to tie Gardner at 12-under-par 276. Gardner missed a 20-inch par putt on the first hole of sudden-death. IIAA officials elected to change the tournament name to the Independent Insurance Agent Open since the Associated Press insisted on dropping the Big "I" from the title in all its dispatches.

1988
	Curtis Strange birdied the 72nd hole to tie Greg Norman at 18-under-par 270 in the $700,000 Independent Insurance Agent Open. Strange birdied it again minutes later on the third hole of sudden-death for his third Houston title.

1989
	The PGA TOUR moved the tournament to the week of March 29-April 2 so it would be the lead-in tournament for The Masters. It attracted international stars Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and others. Mike Sullivan won the $800,000 event with a closing 65 for an 8-under-par 280, one stroke ahead of Craig Stadler.

1990
	Tony Sills won the rain-shortened 54-hole event as the purse escalated to $1 million. Sills finished at 12-under-par 204 as did Gil Morgan. Sills parred the first playoff hole and Morgan bogeyed.

1991
	They called this one the Mulligan. With the Independent Insurance Agents of America as a Lame Duck title sponsor, rain poured the week of April 4-7, postponing the tournament. Quick-thinking salvaged a Sunday TV telecast for the IIAA. Players participated in a $100,000 scramble with the proceeds going to the Desert Storm Relief Fund the American Junior Golf Foundation. Rescheduled in a vacant slot in the fall schedule, the tournament known as the Mulligan previewed what would be its new name. On Tuesday of tournament week officials announced the Shell Houston Open would be a part of the 1992 schedule. For the record South African Fulton Allem won with a 13-under-par 275 total, one stroke better than Billy Ray Brown, Tom Kite and Mike Hulbert. Coincidentally, Hulbert had teamed with Bobby Wadkins and Robert Wrenn to win the IIAA made-for-TV scramble in the spring.

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