Buick Invitational

Infobox_Golf_Tournament
tournament_name = Buick Invitational
nickname =


location = La Jolla, California
establishment = 1952
course = Torrey Pines Golf Course
par = 72
yardage = 7,208 South/6,874 North
tour = PGA Tour
format = Stroke play
purse = $5,200,000
month_played = January
aggregate = 266 George Burns (1987)
266 Tiger Woods (1999)
to-par = -22 George Burns (1987)
-22 Tiger Woods (1999)
Current Champion = Tiger WoodsThe Buick Invitational, is a PGA Tour professional golf tournament played in the San Diego, California area in the early part of the Tour season, known as the "West Coast Swing." The tournament was originally known as the San Diego Open, and was noted for having singer-actor Andy Williams as a celebrity host during much of its existence. The Buick Invitational is the fourth event on the 2008 PGA Tour schedule.

Course history

From 1952-53, the tournament was played at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, California before spending 1954 at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California. In 1955 the event moved to Mission Valley Country Club in San Diego, California, and after the 1956 event was played at Singing Hills Country Club in El Cajon, California, the event returned to Mission Valley CC until 1961. In 1962, Mission Valley CC changed its name to Stardust Country Club (and now is known as Riverwalk Golf Club) and the event stayed there from 1962-63; after spending 1964 at Rancho Bernardo Country Club (now Rancho Bernardo Inn) in San Diego, California, it returned to Stardust CC until 1967.

In 1968, the event began its relationship with Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, where it has been played ever since. In the current tournament set-up, players will split the first 36 holes between the North and South Courses, then play the final 36 holes on the South Course. In 2008, Torrey Pines-South hosted the U.S. Open.PGA Tour 2007 Official Guide - January 2007 | pages 1-5, 3-10 thru 3-11, 11-5.]

Winners

Buick Invitational
*2008 flagicon|USA Tiger Woods
*2007 flagicon|USA Tiger Woods
*2006 flagicon|USA Tiger Woods (playoff)
*2005 flagicon|USA Tiger Woods
*2004 flagicon|USA John Daly (playoff)
*2003 flagicon|USA Tiger Woods
*2002 flagicon|ESP José María Olazábal
*2001 flagicon|USA Phil Mickelson
*2000 flagicon|USA Phil Mickelson
*1999 flagicon|USA Tiger Woods
*1998 flagicon|USA Scott Simpson
*1997 flagicon|USA Mark O'Meara
*1996 flagicon|USA Davis Love

Buick Invitational of California
*1995 flagicon|USA Peter Jacobsen
*1994 flagicon|USA Craig Stadler
*1993 flagicon|USA Phil Mickelson
*1992 flagicon|USA Steve Pate

Shearson Lehman Brothers Open
*1991 flagicon|USA Jay Don Blake

Shearson Lehman Hutton Open
*1990 flagicon|USA Dan Forsman
*1989 flagicon|USA Greg Twiggs

Shearson Lehman Hutton Andy Williams Open
*1988 flagicon|USA Steve Pate

Shearson Lehman Brothers Andy Williams Open
*1987 flagicon|USA George Burns
*1986 flagicon|USA Bob Tway

Isuzu-Andy Williams San Diego Open
*1985 flagicon|USA Woody Blackburn
*1984 flagicon|USA Gary Koch
*1983 flagicon|USA Gary Hallberg

Wickes-Andy Williams San Diego Open
*1982 flagicon|USA Johnny Miller
*1981 flagicon|USA Bruce Lietzke

Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational
*1980 flagicon|USA Tom Watson
*1979 flagicon|USA Fuzzy Zoeller
*1978 flagicon|USA Jay Haas
*1977 flagicon|USA Tom Watson
*1976 flagicon|USA J. C. Snead
*1975 flagicon|USA J. C. Snead
*1974 flagicon|USA Bobby Nichols
*1973 flagicon|USA Bob Dickson
*1972 flagicon|USA Paul Harney
*1971 flagicon|USA George Archer
*1970 flagicon|USA Pete Brown
*1969 flagicon|USA Jack Nicklaus
*1968 flagicon|USA Tom Weiskopf

San Diego Open Invitational
*1967 flagicon|USA Bob Goalby
*1966 flagicon|USA Billy Casper
*1965 flagicon|USA Wes Ellis
*1964 flagicon|USA Art Wall, Jr.
*1963 flagicon|ZAF|1928 Gary Player
*1962 flagicon|USA Tommy Jacobs
*1961 flagicon|USA Arnold Palmer
*1960 flagicon|USA Mike Souchak
*1959 flagicon|USA|1959 Marty Furgol
*1958 "No tournament"
*1957 flagicon|USA|1912 Arnold Palmer

Convair-San Diego Open
*1956 flagicon|USA|1912 Bob Rosburg
*1955 flagicon|USA|1912 Tommy Bolt

San Diego Open
*1954 flagicon|USA|1912 Gene Littler (amateur)
*1953 flagicon|USA|1912 Tommy Bolt
*1952 flagicon|USA|1912 Ted Kroll

Multiple winners

Seven players have won this tournament more than once through 2008.

*6 wins
**Tiger Woods: 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

*3 wins
**Phil Mickelson: 1993, 2000, 2001

*2 wins
**Tommy Bolt: 1953, 1955
**Arnold Palmer: 1957, 1961
**Steve Pate: 1988, 1992
**J. C. Snead: 1975, 1976
**Tom Watson: 1977, 1980

Records and trivia

*Tournament course record: Torrey Pines North Course - 61, Mark Brooks, 1990, and Brandt Snedeker, 2007; Torrey Pines South Course - 62, Tiger Woods, 1999
*Tiger Woods is the only six-time winner of the tournament, and Phil Mickelson the only other golfer to win more than twice.
*Hall of Famer Gene Littler is the only golfer to have won the tournament as an amateur, doing so in 1954. Littler, a San Diego native, never won as a professional - although he was runner-up three times (1969, 1974, 1978).
*One of the most memorable years in the tournament's history was 1982, when Johnny Miller outdueled Jack Nicklaus to win by one stroke.
*Tiger Woods (2005-08) won the tournament four straight years. J. C. Snead (1975-76) and Phil Mickelson (2000-01) won in back-to-back years.
*In 1952, Boxer Joe Louis was invited to play in the San Diego Open on a sponsor's exemption, and became the first African American ever to play in this PGA Tour event.

References

External links

* [http://www.buickinvitational.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r004 Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site]
* [http://66.128.148.121/cgi.pan$winners&Buick_Invitational&&pga?golfstats Buick Invitational results since 1970 - Winners, Finishers, Scores and Earnings]