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Golf tournament formerly on the PGA Tour
Golf tournament
The American Golf Classic
was a tournament on the PGA Tour from
1961
to
1976
at
Firestone Country Club
in
Akron, Ohio
. It was the third event at the storied South course, after the
Rubber City Open Invitational
(1954?1959) and the
PGA Championship
in
1960
.
[3]
The final edition in 1976 was played on the North course, with the
World Series of Golf
held the following week on the South course.
[1]
[4]
The World Series of Golf was succeeded by the current
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
, held on the South course.
Tournament highlights
[
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]
- 1961:
Jay Hebert
wins the inaugural version of the tournament by defeating
Gary Player
on the second hole of a sudden death playoff. To get in the playoff, Hebert had to make a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole.
[5]
- 1963:
Johnny Pott
leads the second AGC wire to wire. He wins by four shots over
Arnold Palmer
.
[6]
- 1964:
Ken Venturi
makes the AGC his third triumph for 1964. He finishes five shots ahead of
Mason Rudolph
.
[7]
- 1965:
Al Geiberger
wins for the 3rd time ever on the PGA Tour. He finishes four shots ahead of Arnold Palmer. One year later, Geiberger would also win the PGA Championship at the Firestone Country Club.
[8]
- 1967: Arnold Palmer becomes the first and only multiple winner of the AGC. He finishes three shots ahead of
Doug Sanders
.
[9]
- 1968:
Jack Nicklaus
wins in a sudden death playoff over
Lee Elder
and
Frank Beard
.
[10]
Elder, a tour rookie at the time, matched Nicklaus shot for shot for four extra holes before losing on the fifth. The finish of the 1968 American Golf Classic has been called one of the most exciting in televised golf history.
[11]
- 1969:
Raymond Floyd
shoots a final round 65 to win by four shots over
Bobby Nichols
.
[12]
- 1973:
Bruce Crampton
wins by three shots over
Lanny Wadkins
,
Gay Brewer
, and
Bob Murphy
. It is Crampton's 4th win of the year and at the time vaults him to #1 on the money list for the year.
[13]
- 1974:
Jim Colbert
wins the AGC in a four-way playoff.
[2]
He defeats Raymond Floyd, Gay Brewer, and
Forrest Fezler
.
[14]
- 1976:
David Graham
wins the last edition of the tournament, the only one played on the North course.
[1]
He finished four shots ahead of
Lou Graham
.
Winners
[
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]
References
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]
External links
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]