The Greater Jacksonville Open was a PGA Tour event that was played from 1945 until 1976.
Shortly after World War II, the Jacksonville Open began play as a PGA Tour event in Jacksonville, Florida at the Hyde Park Golf Club until it was discontinued in the mid-1950s. In the mid-1960s, the PGA Tour came to town again. This time the event was initially named the Jacksonville Open again and changed for the 1968 event to the Jacksonville Open Invitational. The name was changed to the Greater Jacksonville Open for the 1969 event.
The Greater Jacksonville Open was discontinued after the 1976 tournament when the PGA Tour decided to relocate The Players Championship to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The PGA Tour had been looking for some time for a permanent home for the marquee event which has professional golf's highest prize fund and is sometimes referred to as the "fifth major". The Players Championship had been played at the Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia in 1974, the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth in 1975 and at the Inverrary Country Club in Ft. Lauderdale in 1976. The Greater Jacksonville Open laid the groundwork and provided much of the infrastructure for the modern Players Championship, which was first played in Ponte Vedra Beach in 1977.
Tournament highlights 1947: During his third round, Ben Hogan scores eleven on the par-3 6th hole. 1952: At the end of regulation play, Doug Ford and Sam Snead were tied for the lead. An 18-hole playoff was scheduled for the next day but rather than play, Snead forfeited. The forfeit stemmed from a ruling Snead received during the tournament's second round of play. On the 10th hole, Snead's drive landed behind an out of bounds stake. While Chick Harbert who was playing with Snead thought the ball was out of bounds,Ford gets first major golf win a rules official ruled differently due to the starter not telling players the stakes had been moved since the previous day's play had ended. Afterwards Snead explained why he forfeited even though Ford suggested they play sudden death for the title. "I want to be fair about it. I don't want anyone to think I took advantage of the ruling." 1965: Bert Weaver wins the first modern version of the tournament. He finishes one shot ahead of Bruce Devlin, Jack Nicklaus, Bob Charles, and Dave Marr.Bert Weaver wins Jacksonville Open golf tournament 1966: Jack Nicklaus makes a double eagleBig Jack gets double eagle; First of career on the tournament's final hole but can finish no better than tied for eighth. Doug Sanders is the winner by one shot over Gay Brewer.Doug Sanders wins $82,000 Jacksonville Open golf tourney 1967: Jacksonville native Dan Sikes wins by one shot over Bill Collins.Hometown hero Dan Sikes takes Jacksonville Open 1968: Tony Jacklin becomes the first English golfer to win on the PGA Tour. He finishes two shots ahead of DeWitt Weaver, Chi-Chi Rodríguez, Doug Sanders, and Don January.Cool Tony Jacklin wins Jacksonville 1972: Tony Jacklin takes home his second Jacksonville title via a sudden death playoff win over John Jacobs.Tony Jacklin is winner in Jacksonville No Englishman would win a PGA Tour event on US soil again till Nick Faldo triumphed at the 1983 Sea Pines Heritage.Faldo rises to Kite's challenge to win 1975: Larry Ziegler shoots a final round 65 to win by two shots over Mike Morley and Mac McLendon.Ziegler takes Jacksonville 1976: Hubert Green wins the last edition of the tournament. He finishes two shots ahead of Miller Barber.Hubert Green captures another tourney win
Winners YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-upGreater Jacksonville Open 1976 Hubert Green (2) 276 −12 2 strokes Miller Barber 1975 Larry Ziegler 276 −12 2 strokes Mac McLendon Mike Morley 1974 Hubert Green 276 −12 3 strokes John Mahaffey 1973 Jim Colbert 279 −9 1 stroke Lou Graham Johnny Miller Dan Sikes Jim Wiechers 1972 Tony Jacklin (2) 283 −5 Playoff John Jacobs 1971 Gary Player 281 −7 Playoff Hal Underwood 1970 Don January 279 −9 Playoff Dale Douglass 1969 Raymond Floyd 278 −10 Playoff Gardner DickinsonJacksonville Open Invitational 1968 Tony Jacklin 273 −15 2 strokes Gardner Dickinson Don January Chi-Chi Rodríguez Doug Sanders DeWitt WeaverJacksonville Open 1967 Dan Sikes 279 −9 1 stroke Bill Collins 1966 Doug Sanders 273 −15 1 stroke Gay Brewer 1965 Bert Weaver 285 −3 1 stroke Bob Charles Bruce Devlin Dave Marr Jack Nicklaus1954–1964: No tournament 1953 Lew Worsham 272 −16 1 stroke Jim Ferrier 1952 Doug Ford 280 −8 Playoff Sam Snead 1951 Jim Ferrier 272 −16 11 strokes Lloyd Mangrum Jack Shields 1950 Cary Middlecoff (2) 279 −9 2 strokes George Fazio 1949 Cary Middlecoff 274 −10 2 strokes Jerry Barber 1948 Chick Harbert 284 −4 1 stroke Skip Alexander Vic Ghezzi 1947 Clayton Heafner 281 −3 Playoff Lew Worsham 1946 Sam Snead (2) 264 −24 4 strokes Jimmy Demaret 1945 Sam Snead 266 −22 4 strokes Bob Hamilton
References
External links Tournament results (1970–76) at GolfObserver.com