TheWGC Invitationalwas a professional golf tournament that was held in the United States. Established in 1999 as a successor to theWorld Series of Golf,it was one of three or four annualWorld Golf Championships(WGC) until 2021, when the number of WGC events was reduced to two.
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1999 |
| Organized by | International Federation of PGA Tours |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour European Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | US$10,500,000 (final year) |
| Month played | August |
| Final year | 2021 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 259Tiger Woods(2000) |
| To par | −21as above |
| Final champion | |
 Abraham Ancer | |
Under sponsorship agreements, the WGC Invitational was titled as theWGC-NEC Invitational(1999–2005) and theWGC-Bridgestone Invitational(2006–2018). During this time, it was hosted atFirestone Country ClubinOhio,except for 2002 when it was hosted atSahalee Country ClubinWashington.With a change of sponsor in 2019, the tournament became titled as theWGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitationaland was relocated to atTPC SouthwindinMemphis, Tennessee.
The WGC Invitational was sanctioned and organized by theInternational Federation of PGA Toursand the prize money was official money on both thePGA Tourand theEuropean Tour.Tiger Woodshad the record number of wins with eight.[1][2]The winner received aWedgwoodtrophy called The Gary Player Cup.[3]
Sponsorship
editFrom 1999 through 2005, the WGC Invitational was sponsored byNEC.NEC had also sponsored the World Series of Golf from 1984 to 1998. The tournament changed sponsorship in 2006, withBridgestonetaking over as title sponsor. As a part of the sponsorship agreement, the event continued to be held at the South Course ofFirestone Country ClubinAkron, Ohio.In August 2013, the Bridgestone sponsorship was extended through 2018.[4]
The2018 eventwas the last held in Akron. In 2019,FedExbecame the title sponsor and relocated the tournament toMemphis, Tennessee.[5][6]
Venues
editPrior to 2019 the event was hosted at the South Course ofFirestone Country ClubinAkron,Ohio,with one exception – the2002event, which was played atSahalee Country ClubinSammamish, Washington.Between 2019 and 2021, the tournament was held atTPC SouthwindinMemphis, Tennessee.
Qualifying criteria
editThe event had a field of about 75 players, roughly half the number for a standard professional golf event. Invitations were issued to the following:
- Playing members of the last namedPresidents CuporRyder Cupteams (whichever was played last).
- Players ranked among the top 50 on theOfficial World Golf Ranking(one week and two weeks prior to event).
- Tournament winners of worldwide events since the prior year's tournament with an Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating of 115 points or more.
- The winner of one selected tournament from each of thePGA Tour of Australasia,Sunshine TourandAsian Tourand two selected tournaments from theJapan Golf Tour.
From 1999 to 2001, only the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams were eligible and the field was about 40 players. Prior to 2011, both Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams were eligible.
World Series of Golf
editFrom1976through1998,thePGA Tourevent at Firestone Country Club was the "World Series of Golf," and was sponsored by NEC beginning in1984.It was founded as a four-man invitational event in1962,comprising the winners of the fourmajor championshipsin a 36-hole event.[7]the competitors played in one group for $75,000 in unofficial prize money, televised byNBC.
In1976,it became a 72-hole, $300,000 PGA Tour event and its field was initially expanded to twenty;[8]the victory and $100,000 winner's share went to Nicklaus.[9]The largest first prize at a major in 1976 was $45,000 at thePGA Championship.
The World Series of Golf quickly became a leading event on the tour. For many years a victory in it gave a 10-year exemption on the PGA Tour, the same as was granted for a victory in a major championship at that time, and twice as long as is given even for winning a major now. The field consisted of the winners of all the high status men's professional golf tournaments around the world in the previous twelve months. This was quite different from the criteria for the WGC Invitational listed above, but produced much the same sort of global field.
Winners
edit
Notes
edit- ^EUR −European Tour;PGAT −PGA Tour.
- ^The 2016 event was only sanctioned by thePGA Tour.It was not sanctioned by theEuropean Tourdue to a schedule change for theOlympic Games.
References
edit- ^"Tournament History".European Tour.RetrievedJuly 14,2019.
- ^"PGA Tour Media Guide".PGA Tour.RetrievedFebruary 22,2019.
- ^Heath, Elliott (August 7, 2017)."The Best Trophies In Golf".Golf Monthly.RetrievedFebruary 22,2019.
- ^Ridenour, Marla (August 4, 2013)."PGA Tour, Bridgestone extend contract to keep tournament at Firestone C.C. through 2018".Akron Beacon Journal.RetrievedAugust 6,2015.
- ^Wright, Branson (April 12, 2018)."WGC-Bridgestone Invitational will leave Firestone in 2019".cleveland.
- ^"2019 Dates Announced".PGA Tour. July 9, 2018.
- ^"World Series of Golf back for final time".The Augusta Chronicle.AP. August 27, 1998.RetrievedJune 24,2013.
- ^"Now golf has a real World Series".Eugene Register-Guard.Associated Press. August 29, 1976. p. 7B.
- ^"Nicklaus silences his doubters".Palm Beach Post.wire services. September 6, 1976. p. D1.