Lucky International Open
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | San Francisco, California |
| Established | 1961 |
| Course(s) | Harding Park Golf Club |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,677 yards (6,105 m)[1] |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play – 72 holes |
| Month played | October (1969) November (1968) January (1961–66) |
| Final year | 1969 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 269 Billy Casper (1968)[2] 269 Steve Spray (1969) |
| To par | −15 as above |
| Final champion | |
 Steve Spray | |
The Lucky International Open was a PGA Tour event in the 1960s in San Francisco, California. It was played at Harding Park Golf Club, a public course across Lake Merced from the more glamorous Olympic Club. One of the founders and sponsors of the Lucky International Open was Eugene Selvage, owner of the Lucky Lager Brewing Company.
Following surgery on his hands the previous summer, San Francisco native Ken Venturi won his 14th and final PGA Tour event here in January 1966, taking the first prize of $8,500 with his parents in the gallery.[3][4][5] The deteriorating conditions and antiquated facilities at Harding Park caused the PGA Tour to leave at the end of the decade.
The final edition in 1969 was played in late October without the Lucky name and had a winner's share of $20,000. Steve Spray gained his only tour victory, one stroke ahead of runner-up Chi-Chi Rodríguez,[6][7] the playoff winner in January 1964.[8]
For its first six years, it was played in late January, the week after the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. Not played in 1967, it was held in mid-autumn in 1968 and 1969.
Winners
| Year | Player | Country | Score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) |
Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Open Invitational | ||||||||
| 1969 | Steve Spray |  United States |
269 | −15 | 1 stroke | Chi-Chi Rodríguez |
20,000 | [6][7] |
| Lucky International Open | ||||||||
| 1968 | Billy Casper | United States |
269 | −15 | 4 strokes | Raymond Floyd Don Massengale |
20,000 | [2] |
| 1967 | No tournament | |||||||
| 1966 | Ken Venturi | United States |
273 | −11 | 1 stroke | Frank Beard |
8,500 | [3][4] |
| 1965 | George Archer | United States |
278 | −6 | Playoff |  Bob Charles |
8,500 | |
| 1964 | Chi-Chi Rodríguez | United States |
272 | −12 | Playoff | Don January |
7,500 | [8] |
| 1963 | Jack Burke Jr. | United States |
276 | −8 | 3 strokes | Don January |
9,000 | |
| 1962 | Gene Littler | United States |
274 | −10 | 2 strokes |  George Knudson |
9,000 | |
| 1961 | Gary Player |  South Africa |
272 | −12 | 2 strokes | George Bayer Don Whitt |
9,000 | |
References
- ^ "George Archer shoots 67 to expand S.F. Open lead". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. October 25, 1969. p. 12.
- ^ a b "Casper strikes it Lucky with 66". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. Associated Press. November 4, 1968. p. 5C.
- ^ a b "Venturi fires 5 under 66 to capture 'Lucky' by one". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. February 1, 1966. p. 2, part 2.
- ^ a b "Venturi's 273 wins Lucky golf title". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. February 1, 1966. p. 1, section 3.
- ^ Kroichick, Ron (October 3, 2005). "The Amex at Harding Park". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
- ^ a b "Persevering Spray finally lands purse". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. October 27, 1969. p. 35.
- ^ a b "Steve Spray's only birdie delivers SF Open victory". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. October 27, 1969. p. 13.
- ^ a b "Rodriguez wins Lucky golf playoff". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 28, 1964. p. 28.