| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Established | 1945 |
| Course(s) | Indian Canyon Golf Course |
| Par | 70 - (1947) 72 - (1945) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play - 72 holes |
| Prize fund | $10,000 |
| Month played | August (1947) September (1945) |
| Final year | 1947 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 266 Byron Nelson (1945) |
| To par | –22 Byron Nelson (1945) |
| Final champion | |
Herman Keiser | |
The Esmeralda Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour that was played in 1945 and 1947 in Spokane, Washington. It was held at Indian Canyon Golf Course, a municipal facility designed in 1930 by Chandler Egan [1] [2] on the west end of the city, and opened in 1935. [3] The Esmeralda Open was organized by the Spokane Athletic Round Table, a fraternal organization, headed by Joe Albi. The ART's emblem was a laughing horse named Esmeralda, which inspired the title of the charity tournament. [4] [5] The Round Table would later be instrumental in the construction of the city's Esmeralda Golf Course, opened in 1956 in northeast Spokane. [6] It also was the driving force behind Spokane Memorial Stadium, named for Albi in 1962.
The Esmeralda Open was held annually for over a decade, but most editions featured local and regional golfers, and was not part of the PGA Tour. The first in 1943 was a 54-hole event played at Downriver, [7] and the 1949 tournament included Bing Crosby, [8] who was raised in Spokane. It was not held in 1944, when the 1944 PGA Championship was played at Manito Golf and Country Club in south Spokane. [9] [10] In 1946, Spokane and the ART hosted the first U.S. Women's Open at the Spokane Country Club, north of the city. [11] An attempt was made to have the PGA Tour return in 1954, [12] but was unsuccessful. [13]
1945
The second Esmeralda Open, and the first as a tour event, was held in September 1945. It was won by Byron Nelson by seven strokes over runner-up Harold "Jug" McSpaden, followed by Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. Nelson shot a 64 (–8) in the final round for a 266, an unofficial tour record at the time of 22-under par. [14] His winner's share of the $10,000 event was $1,500 in cash and $2,000 in war bonds. [15]
It was Nelson's sixteenth victory of 18 during his record-setting year. [16] Several course records were established at the 1945 tournament. McSpaden shot a course-record 30 on his final front nine and Snead shot a final-round 63 (–9) to set another course record. [15] [16]
1947
For the 1947 event, par was changed to 70 and the tournament was played in early August. Herman Keiser shot a one-under 69 on Sunday to finish at 273 (–7), one stroke ahead of three runners-up: Ben Hogan, Ed Furgol, and Johnny Palmer. Hogan electrified the gallery with an ace at the 161-yard (147 m) fourth hole in the final round. [17] He shot a 68, but missed a putt for par from less than 2 feet (60 cm) on the final hole that would have tied Keiser. [18]
Winners
| Year | Dates | Champion | Winning score |
To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up | Purse ( $) |
Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Sep 20–23 |
Byron Nelson |
66-66-70-64=266 | –22 | 7 strokes |
Harold McSpaden |
10,000 | 1,500 (& $2,000 war bond) |
| 1947 | Aug 7–10 |
Herman Keiser |
65-69-70-69=273 | –7 | 1 stroke |
Ben Hogan
Ed Furgol
Johnny Palmer |
10,000 | 2,000 |
References
- ^ "Chandler Egan coming in April". Spokane Daily Chronicle. March 27, 1934. p. 11. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ Broom, Ron (April 20, 1935). "It's Like This--". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 12. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Big gallery watches first players on the Indian Canyon Golf Course". Spokesman-Review. August 18, 1935. p. 1-sports. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Pro golf stars head west for Esmeralda Open". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. September 17, 1945. p. 6. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Big Christmas Party Marks Esmeralda Open". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. August 7, 1947. p. 16. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Round Table donates $75,000 for Esmeralda golf house". Spokesman-Review. March 20, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Esmeralda golf tournament lures season's biggest field". Spokane Daily Chronicle. September 16, 1943. p. 12. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ Ashlock, Herb (August 20, 1949). "Oliver, Ward, Welch lead Esmeralda golf". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 9. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ Johnson, Bob (August 14, 1944). "Star golfers tee off today in PGA qualifying rounds". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 12. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ Johnson, Bob (August 21, 1944). "Bob Hamilton and A.R.T. turn toward new endeavors". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 12. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ Ashlock, Herb (September 2, 1946). "Patty Berg winner of Women's Open". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 13. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Ward, West good bets to top Esmeralda golf championships". Spokane Daily Chronicle. August 27, 1953. p. 34. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Top players enter Esmeralda golf tourney". Spokane Daily Chronicle. August 20, 1954. p. 13. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Nelson's 266 wins Esmeralda tourney". Spokesman-Review. September 24, 1945. p. 1. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ a b Ashlock, Herb (September 24, 1945). "Byron Nelson, Esmeralda Champion". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 12. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ a b Nyhan, Paul (August 20, 2002). "Tour History in Washington". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Keiser's putting wins him golf title; champ heads for Portland". Spokane Daily Chronicle. August 11, 1947. p. 13. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Keiser annexes Esmeralda Open". Eugene Register-Guard. United Press. August 11, 1947. p. 7. Retrieved February 20, 2013.