The North and South Open was one of the most prestigious professional
golf tournaments in the
United States in the first half of the twentieth century. It was played at
Pinehurst Resort in
North Carolina, long the largest golf resort in the world, which also staged a series of other tournaments with the "North and South" name, some of which continue to this day.
The event ran from 1902 to 1951 and was won by many
major champions, including three-time winners
Walter Hagen,
Ben Hogan, and
Sam Snead. Played in March until 1944, the final seven events were held in early November. Hogan's win in 1940 at age 27 was his first as a professional; the winner's share was a thousand
dollars.[2][3]
It was cancelled when the professionals asked the patrician patriarch of Pinehurst,
Richard Tufts, who was a great champion of amateurism, to increase the prize money in line with PGA Tour rates. The final tourney's purse was $7,500 in 1951, with a winner's share of $1,500.[1] The
Ryder Cup was held at the course the previous week,[4] but only five of the nine on the winning U.S. team stayed to play.[5]
^"Tied on Thirty-Six Holes". The Pinehurst Outlook. North Carolina. April 16, 1904. p. 1. - Travers, Jerome (December 26, 1915). "The Creeper That Cost a Championship". The Charlotte News. (North Carolina). p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.