The Azalea Open Invitational was a golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour, held at Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington. Last played in November 1971 as an unofficial event;[1][2] it was an official PGA Tour event in 1945 and from 1949 through 1970. The Heritage in South Carolina debuted in 1969 and soon displaced it on the schedule.[3]
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Established | 1945 |
| Course(s) | Cape Fear Country Club |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,575 yards (6,012 m)[1] |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | US$35,000 |
| Month played | November |
| Final year | 1971 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 270 Billy Maxwell (1955) |
| To par | −18 as above |
| Final champion | |
 George Johnson | |
| Location map | |
  Cape Fear Country Club Location in the United States  Cape Fear Country Club Location in North Carolina | |
It was also played under the names of the Azalea Open and the Wilmington Azalea Open; all were centerpieces of the city's Azalea Festival. Cape Fear was designed by noted course architect Donald Ross.[3]
From 1950 through 1965, the Azalea Open was a tune-up event for the first major of the year, The Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Jerry Barber, the winner of the PGA Championship in 1961, won the Wilmington event three times (1953, 1961, 1963). Arnold Palmer won in 1957 and nearly repeated,[4] falling by a stroke in an 18-hole playoff in 1958; the difference was a penalty stroke he called on himself.[5][6]
Total prize money was initially $10,000, increasing to $12,500 in 1955 and $15,000 in 1958. It reduced to $12,000 in 1961 before increasing to $20,000 from 1962 to 1964. Prize money was $28,750 in 1965, $22,800 in 1966, $35,000 from 1967 to 1969 and $60,000 in 1970. The final non-tour event in 1971 had prize money of $35,000.
Tournament hosts
- 1949–1971 – Cape Fear Country Club, Wilmington, North Carolina
- 1945 – Mobile Country Club, Mobile, Alabama
Winners
| Year | Tour[a] | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azalea Open Invitational | ||||||||
| 1971 | George Johnson | 274 | −10 | Playoff | Ralph Johnston | 7,000 | [1][2] | |
| 1970 | PGAT |  Cesar Sanudo | 269 | −15 | 1 stroke | Bobby Mitchell | 12,000 | [7] |
| 1969 | PGAT | Dale Douglass | 275 | −9 | 3 strokes | Jim Langley Larry Mowry Bob Stone Terry Wilcox | 5,000 | [8] |
| 1968 | PGAT | Steve Reid | 271 | −13 | Playoff |  Gary Player | 5,000 | [9] |
| 1967 | PGAT | Randy Glover | 278 | −10 | Playoff | Joe Campbell | 5,000 | [10] |
| 1966 | PGAT | Bert Yancey | 278 | −10 | 1 stroke | Bob Johnson | 3,200 | [11] |
| 1965 | PGAT | Dick Hart | 276 | −12 | Playoff | Phil Rodgers | 3,850 | [12] |
| Azalea Open | ||||||||
| 1964 | PGAT | Al Besselink (2) | 282 | −6 | 1 stroke | Lionel Hebert | 2,700 | [13] |
| 1963 | PGAT | Jerry Barber (3) | 274 | −14 | 5 strokes | Larry Beck Bruce Crampton Doug Ford Billy Maxwell Jack Rule Jr. | 2,800 | [14] |
| 1962 | PGAT | Dave Marr | 281 | −7 | Playoff | Jerry Steelsmith | 2,800 | [15] |
| 1961 | PGAT | Jerry Barber (2) | 213 | −3 | Playoff | Chandler Harper | 1,200 | [16] |
| 1960 | PGAT | Tom Nieporte | 277 | −11 | 2 strokes | Gay Brewer | 2,000 | [17] |
| 1959 | PGAT | Art Wall Jr. | 282 | −6 | 3 strokes | Mike Souchak | 2,000 | [18] |
| 1958 | PGAT | Howie Johnson | 282 | −6 | Playoff | Arnold Palmer | 2,000 | [5][6] |
| 1957 | PGAT | Arnold Palmer | 282 | −6 | 1 stroke | Dow Finsterwald | 1,700 | [4] |
| 1956 | PGAT | Mike Souchak | 273 | −15 | 1 stroke | Dick Mayer | 2,200 | [19] |
| 1955 | PGAT | Billy Maxwell | 270 | −18 | 1 stroke | Mike Souchak | 2,200 | [20] |
| 1954 | PGAT | Bob Toski | 273 | −15 | 3 strokes | George Fazio | 2,000 | [21] |
| 1953 | PGAT | Jerry Barber | 276 | −12 | 1 stroke | Doug Ford Ted Kroll Johnny Palmer | 2,000 | [22] |
| 1952 | PGAT | Jimmy Clark | 272 | −16 | 3 strokes | George Fazio Jim Turnesa | 2,000 | [23][24] |
| Wilmington Azalea Open | ||||||||
| 1951 | PGAT | Lloyd Mangrum | 281 | −7 | 1 stroke | Jim Ferrier Ed Furgol Jim Turnesa | 2,000 | [25][26] |
| 1950 | PGAT | Dutch Harrison | 280 | −8 | 2 strokes | George Fazio | 2,000 | [27] |
| Wilmington Open | ||||||||
| 1949 | PGAT | Henry Ransom | 276 | −12 | 2 strokes | Fred Haas Bob Hamilton Bobby Locke Cary Middlecoff | 2,000 | [28][29] |
| Azalea Open | ||||||||
| 1946 | Al Besselink (a) |  | ||||||
| 1945 | PGAT | Sammy Byrd | 283 | −5 | Playoff | Dutch Harrison | 2,000 | [30][31] |