The Arizona Open Championship is the annual open state championship of

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. The competition is 54-holes of stroke play (3 rounds on an 18-hole course), with the winner being the player with the lowest total number of strokes. Following 36-holes of play the field is cut to the top 50 players and ties for the final round. In the event of a tie following 54-holes, a hole-by-hole, sudden death playoff will determine the winner. The Championship is administered by the Southwest PGA (

Professional Golfers' Association of America The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America) is an American organization of golf professionals that was founded in 1916. Consisting of nearly 29,000 men and women members, the PGA of America's undertaking is to establish ...

). The Arizona Open has roots dating back to the inaugural event held in 1937. This historical championship has been held annually since 1953 and boasts an impressive list of past champions including

Johnny Bulla John Guthrie Bulla (June 2, 1914 – December 7, 2003) was an American professional golfer. Born in Newell, West Virginia, Bulla played on the PGA Tour, winning the 1941 Los Angeles Open, and finished runner-up three times in the majors, inclu ...

, Dale Douglas and

Curt Byrum Curt Allen Byrum (born December 28, 1958) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. He is the older brother of PGA Tour golfer Tom Byrum. Byrum was born and raised in Onida, South Dakota. He learn ...

Qualification

The Arizona Open Championship is open to any professional golfer or to any amateur golfer with a

USGA The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the United States national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rules ...

Handicap Index not exceeding 10.0. Players (male or female) may obtain a place in the Championship proper by being fully exempt or by competing successfully in qualifying. Approximately 1/3 of the field is made up of players who are fully exempt from qualifying. Competitors who are not fully exempt must register and compete in a qualifier. Place-winners from qualifying events, conducted historically throughout the month of July, along with those players exempt from qualifying, finalize the Championship field of 156 competitors.

Champions

*a = Amateur *^PO = Won in playoff *^* = Championship was 36-holes *^** = Championship was 72-holes *^*** = Championship was shortened to 36-holes after two-day rain delay

Records

* Most titles: 5 by

(1947, 1950, 1951, 1958, 1959) * Most consecutive titles: 4 by Dell Urich (1937, 1938, 1939, 1940) * Most times runner-up (including ties): 3 by

(1957, 1965, 1967),

Bill Johnston Bill or Billy Johnston may refer to: * Bill Johnston (cricketer) (1922–2007), Australian cricketer * Bill Johnston (golfer) (1925–2021), American golfer and golf course architect * Bill Johnston (tennis) William Marquitz "Little Bill" John ...

(1964, 1968, 1973), Bill Garrett (1965, 1976, 1977) * Most often first or second (including ties): 8 by

(1st 1947, 1950, 1951, 1958, 1959; 2nd 1957, 1965, 1967) * Most top 5 finishes (including ties): 12 by

(1947-1973) * Most top 10 finishes (including ties): 17 by

(1947-1975) * Low 54-hole score: 197 (−19) by 3 players * Low 36-hole score: 127 (−13) by Jake Younan (R1-2, 61-66), Troon Country Club, 2018 * Low 18-hole score: 61 (−9) by Jake Younan (R1), Troon Country Club, 2018 * Low first round score: 61 (−9) by Jake Younan (R1), Troon Country Club, 2018 * Low second round score: 63 (−9) by

Ronnie Black Ronald Jay Black (born May 26, 1958) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour. Black was born in Lovington, New Mexico. He attended Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he was ...

, Alta Mesa Country Club, 1987 * Low third round score: 63 (−9) by amateur Michael Feagles, Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club, 2019 * Largest victory margin: 15 by

Al Mengert Alfred John Mengert (April 7, 1929 – April 6, 2021) was an American professional golfer. Biography Born and raised in Spokane, Washington, he was the son of local businessman Otto Mengert and his wife Otelia Johnson, who was the sister of U. ...

(over Dick Metz), Moon Valley Country Club, 1960

External links

Southwest PGAArizona Open Records & Statistics
{{State Open Championships (golf) Golf in Arizona PGA of America sectional tournaments State Open golf tournaments