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Wikipedia / Buick Open

The Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship. Regardless, many prominent players used it as a "tune-up" for the subsequent major.

For the event's first decade, the Buick Open Invitational was played at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Michigan. After 1969, professional golf events in the area fell off the PGA Tour schedule and a series of pro-ams and other similarly unofficial events took place, mostly at Flint Golf Club in Flint, Michigan.

Flint native, and PGA touring professional Larry Mancour had returned to Michigan to play in the Buick Open and stayed to build the Grand Blanc Golf Club. He then added nine holes at the Flint Elks Golf Club where he remained the professional for 20 years. He rescued the Buick Open when General Motors dropped sponsorship of the tournament. With local Buick dealers Mancour started the Little Buick Open in 1969. It drew players and fans and led to the rebirth of the Buick Open in 1977.

The Buick Open officially made its return to the PGA Tour in 1977 at the Flint Elks Club, and in 1978 the event returned to Warwick Hills G&CC, where it remained until its demise.

The Associated Press reported July 28, 2009, that General Motors would end its sponsorship of the Buick Open after the 2009 tournament, in order to devote its marketing resources to cars and trucks. The PGA Tour replaced the tournament with the Greenbrier Classic at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

As in the 1970s, a series of pro-ams and other unofficial events now take place in Grand Blanc, with the AJGA's Randy Wise Open taking place at Warwick Hills and most pro-ams and a golf festival at the Jewel of Grand Blanc (the former Grand Blanc Golf Club).

In 2014, an unrelated tournament with the same name was started in China. The event is played on PGA Tour China.

In 2018, the former General Motors financing arm, now Ally Bank, returned to Warwick Hills to sponsor a PGA Tour Champions event, The Ally Challenge. Jim Furyk (2003, 2020) and Vijay Singh (2004, 2005, 2023) have won both events.

In 2019, the PGA Tour returned to Michigan with what is now the Rocket Classic, which is played at the Detroit Golf Club.

Long hitters

In its final years, the tournament was dominated by long hitters. Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Brian Bateman, and Kenny Perry combined for eight wins in its final nine years. Several other players ranked highly in driving distance finished second during that span, including Woods, Jason Gore, Geoff Ogilvy, Bubba Watson, and John Daly.

Winners

Year

Tour

Winner

Score

To par

Margin ofvictory

Runner(s)-up

Winner'sshare ($)

Buick Open

2009

PGAT

Tiger Woods (3)

268

−20

3 strokes

Greg Chalmers John Senden Roland Thatcher

918,000

2008

PGAT

Kenny Perry (2)

269

−19

1 stroke

Woody Austin Bubba Watson

900,000

2007

PGAT

Brian Bateman

273

−15

1 stroke

Woody Austin Jason Gore Justin Leonard

882,000

2006

PGAT

Tiger Woods (2)

264

−24

3 strokes

Jim Furyk

864,000

2005

PGAT

Vijay Singh (3)

264

−24

4 strokes

Zach Johnson Tiger Woods

828,000

2004

PGAT

Vijay Singh (2)

265

−23

1 stroke

John Daly

810,000

2003

PGAT

Jim Furyk

267

−21

2 strokes

Briny Baird Chris DiMarco Geoff Ogilvy Tiger Woods

720,000

2002

PGAT

Tiger Woods

271

−17

4 strokes

Fred Funk Brian Gay Mark O'Meara Esteban Toledo

594,000

2001

PGAT

Kenny Perry

263

−25

2 strokes

Chris DiMarco Jim Furyk

558,000

2000

PGAT

Rocco Mediate

268

−20

1 stroke

Chris Perry

486,000

1999

PGAT

Tom Pernice Jr.

270

−18

1 stroke

Tom Lehman Ted Tryba Bob Tway

432,000

1998

PGAT

Billy Mayfair

271

−17

2 strokes

Scott Verplank

324,000

1997

PGAT

Vijay Singh

273

−15

4 strokes

Tom Byrum Russ Cochran Ernie Els Brad Fabel Naomichi Ozaki Curtis Strange

270,000

1996

PGAT

Justin Leonard

266

−22

5 strokes

Chip Beck

216,000

1995

PGAT

Woody Austin

270

−18

Playoff

Mike Brisky

216,000

1994

PGAT

Fred Couples

270

−18

2 strokes

Corey Pavin

198,000

1993

PGAT

Larry Mize

272

−16

1 stroke

Fuzzy Zoeller

180,000

1992

PGAT

Dan Forsman

276

−12

Playoff

Steve Elkington Brad Faxon

180,000

1991

PGAT

Brad Faxon

271

−17

Playoff

Chip Beck

180,000

1990

PGAT

Chip Beck

272

−16

1 stroke

Mike Donald Hale Irwin Fuzzy Zoeller

180,000

1989

PGAT

Leonard Thompson

273

−15

1 stroke

Billy Andrade Payne Stewart Doug Tewell

180,000

1988

PGAT

Scott Verplank

268

−20

2 strokes

Doug Tewell

126,000

1987

PGAT

Robert Wrenn

262

−26

7 strokes

Dan Pohl

108,000

1986

PGAT

Ben Crenshaw

270

−18

1 stroke

J. C. Snead Doug Tewell

90,000

1985

PGAT

Ken Green

268

−20

4 strokes

Wayne Grady

81,000

1984

PGAT

Denis Watson

271

−17

1 stroke

Payne Stewart

72,000

1983

PGAT

Wayne Levi

272

−16

1 stroke

Isao Aoki Calvin Peete

63,000

1982

PGAT

Lanny Wadkins

273

−15

1 stroke

Tom Kite

63,000

1981

PGAT

Hale Irwin

277

−11

Playoff

Bobby Clampett Peter Jacobsen Gil Morgan

63,000

Buick-Goodwrench Open

1980

PGAT

Peter Jacobsen

276

−12

1 stroke

Billy Kratzert Mark Lye

45,000

1979

PGAT

John Fought

280

−8

Playoff

Jim Simons

27,000

1978

PGAT

Jack Newton

280

−8

Playoff

Mike Sullivan

20,000

Buick Open

1977

PGAT

Bobby Cole

271

−17

1 stroke

Fred Marti

20,000

1976

Ed Sabo

279

−9

Playoff

Randy Erskine

12,000

1975

Spike Kelley

208

−8

1 stroke

Randy Erskine Jim Marshall Mike McCullough

4,200

Flint Elks Open

1974

Bryan Abbott

136

−8

Playoff

Joe Porter

2,000

Lake Michigan Classic

1973

Wilf Homenuik

215

−1

Playoff

Jim Ferriell

3,200

Vern Parsell Buick Open

1972

Gary Groh

273

−15

2 strokes

John Mahaffey

4,000

Buick Open Invitational

1970–1971: No tournament

1969

PGAT

Dave Hill

277

−11

2 strokes

Frank Beard

25,000

1968

PGAT

Tom Weiskopf

280

−8

1 stroke

Mike Hill

25,000

1967

PGAT

Julius Boros (2)

283

−5

3 strokes

Bob Goalby R. H. Sikes Bert Yancey

20,000

1966

PGAT

Phil Rodgers

284

−4

2 strokes

Johnny Pott Kermit Zarley

20,000

1965

PGAT

Tony Lema (2)

280

−8

2 strokes

Johnny Pott

20,000

1964

PGAT

Tony Lema

277

−11

1 stroke

Dow Finsterwald

8,000

1963

PGAT

Julius Boros

274

−14

5 strokes

Dow Finsterwald

9,000

1962

PGAT

Bill Collins

284

−4

1 stroke

Dave Ragan

9,000

1961

PGAT

Jack Burke Jr.

284

−4

Playoff

Billy Casper Johnny Pott

9,000

1960

PGAT

Mike Souchak

282

−6

1 stroke

Gay Brewer Art Wall Jr.

9,000

1959

PGAT

Art Wall Jr.

282

−6

Playoff

Dow Finsterwald

9,000

1958

PGAT

Billy Casper

285

−3

1 stroke

Ted Kroll Arnold Palmer

9,000

Notes

References