The Doral Open was a professional
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 ...
tournament on the
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
in the
southeastern United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
. It was played annually for 45 seasons, from
1962
Events January
* January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand.
* January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism.
* January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wo ...
to
2006, on the "Blue Monster" course at the
Doral Golf Resort & Spa in
Doral, Florida
Doral is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. One of 34 municipalities in the county, it is located west of Miami International Airport and west of Downtown Miami. Doral occupies bordered on the west by the Ronald Reagan T ...
, a suburb west of
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...
.
The introduction of the
FedEx Cup
The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007. Rory McIlroy is the 2022 champion. Th ...
in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto ...
caused a change in the PGA Tour schedule. The
WGC-CA Championship
The WGC Championship was a professional golf tournament that was held between 1999 and 2021. It was one of the three or four annual World Golf Championships until the number of WGC events was reduced to two following the 2021 season.
Under sp ...
, a
World Golf Championship
The World Golf Championships (WGC) are a group of annual professional golf tournaments created by the International Federation of PGA Tours as a means of gathering the best players in the world together more frequently than the pre-existing four ...
event co-sponsored by the PGA Tour, moved from October to March and took the Doral Open's spot on the schedule. This championship was also held at the Blue Monster course for the next decade; it was renamed the
WGC-Cadillac Championship
The WGC Championship was a professional golf tournament that was held between 1999 and 2021. It was one of the three or four annual World Golf Championships until the number of WGC events was reduced to two following the 2021 season.
Under s ...
in
2011 and continued at Doral through
2016. The resort was sold in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
and became
Trump National Doral Miami
Trump National Doral Miami is a golf resort in Doral in South Florida in the United States. It was founded by real estate pioneer Alfred Kaskel in 1962, with the name "Doral" coming from an amalgamation of the first names of Kaskel and his wife, ...
. The
PGA Tour Latinoamérica
PGA Tour Latinoamérica is a third level professional golf tour formed in 2012 and operated by the PGA Tour. It was formed in concert with the now defunct Tour de las Américas. Executives from the Tour de las Américas became employees of the ne ...
development tour will host the season-ending Shell Championship in December 2018 on the Golden Palm course to continue the PGA Tour's tradition of hosting at Doral.
History
The tournament was played at various points in March, and sometimes in late February. Both the tournament's title and sponsor changed over the years, and included
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles ...
,
Genuity,
Ryder
Ryder System, Inc., commonly known as Ryder, is an American transportation and logistics company. It is especially known for its fleet of commercial rental trucks.
Ryder specializes in fleet management, supply chain management, and transp ...
, and
Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major United States airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Ea ...
. The Doral Golf Resort & Spa was formerly known as the Doral Country Club and was the sister hotel to the famous
Doral Hotel on the ocean in Miami Beach, Florida.
The tournament usually attracted one of the strongest fields on the PGA Tour outside of the
major championships and the
World Golf Championships
The World Golf Championships (WGC) are a group of annual professional golf tournaments created by the International Federation of PGA Tours as a means of gathering the best players in the world together more frequently than the pre-existing four ...
. The champions at Doral include major winners
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. He won 117 professional tou ...
,
Tom Weiskopf
Thomas Daniel Weiskopf (November 9, 1942 – August 20, 2022) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. His most successful decade was the 1970s. He won 16 PGA Tour titles between 1968 and 1982, inclu ...
,
Lee Trevino
Lee Buck Trevino (born December 1, 1939) is an American retired professional golfer who is regarded as one of the greatest players in golf history. He was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981. Trevino won six major championships and 2 ...
,
Billy Casper
William Earl Casper Jr. (June 24, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American professional golfer. He was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s.
In his youth, Casper started as a caddie ...
,
Raymond Floyd
Raymond Loran Floyd (born September 4, 1942) is an American retired golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour, including four majors and four senior majors. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame i ...
,
Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian entrepreneur and retired professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 89 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournamen ...
,
Hubert Green
Hubert Myatt Green (December 28, 1946 – June 19, 2018) was an American professional golfer who won 29 professional golf tournaments, including two major championships: the 1977 U.S. Open and the 1985 PGA Championship. He was inducted into the ...
,
Ben Crenshaw
Ben Daniel Crenshaw (born January 11, 1952) is a retired American professional golfer who has won 19 events on the PGA Tour, including two major championships: the Masters Tournament in 1984 and 1995. He is nicknamed '' Gentle Ben''.
Professio ...
,
Lanny Wadkins
Jerry Lanston "Lanny" Wadkins Jr. (born December 5, 1949) is an American professional golfer. He ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for 86 weeks from the ranking's debut in 1986 to 1988.
Early years
Born in Richmond, Virgini ...
,
Tom Kite
Thomas Oliver Kite Jr. (born December 9, 1949) is an American professional golfer and golf course architect. He won the U.S. Open in 1992 and spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between 1989 and 1994.
Career
Kite wa ...
,
Nick Faldo
Sir Nicholas Alexander Faldo, (born 18 July 1957) is an English retired professional golfer and television commentator. A top player of his era, renowned for his dedication to the game, he was ranked No. 1 on the Official World Golf Ranking for ...
,
Ernie Els
Theodore Ernest Els (; born 17 October 1969) is a South African professional golfer. A former , he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature (he stands ) along with his fluid golf swing. Among his more than 70 career victor ...
,
Jim Furyk
James Michael Furyk (born May 12, 1970) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. In 2010, he was the FedEx Cup champion and PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 200 ...
, and
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
.
In
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris (dwarf planet), Er ...
, nine of the top ten players in the
official world rankings participated. After an exciting final round duel with then-World Number 4
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson (born June 16, 1970), nicknamed Lefty, is an American professional golfer who plays for LIV Golf. He has won 45 events on the PGA Tour, including six major championships: three Masters titles (2004, 2006, 2010), two P ...
, Tiger Woods won by a shot to regain the number one ranking he had lost six months earlier to
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh ( hif, विजय सिंह ; born 22 February 1963), nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer. He has won 34 events on the PGA Tour, including three major championships: one Masters title (2000) and two ...
, who finished in a tie for third.
The 2006 Ford Championship at Doral marked the end of the Doral Open tournament and the field again included nine of the top ten in the world rankings. Woods repeated as champion, one-stroke ahead of runners-up
Camilo Villegas
Camilo Villegas (; born 7 January 1982) is a Colombian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
Early years
Villegas was born in Medellín, Colombia, and took up golf as a child. After several different National Junior Championships in ...
and
David Toms
David Wayne Toms (born January 4, 1967) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. From 1992 to 2017, Toms was a member of the PGA Tour, where he won 13 events, including one major, the 2001 PGA Championshi ...
.
[
The historical broadcaster of the event was ]CBS Sports
CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street (Manhattan), 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS ...
. With the PGA Tour's first centralized TV deal in 1999, the Southern Swing, including Doral, was assigned to NBC Sports
NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and it ...
. NBC covered the event until its conclusion as a regular event, and continued for its ten years as a World Golf Championship.
Tournament highlights
*1962: Billy Casper
William Earl Casper Jr. (June 24, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American professional golfer. He was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s.
In his youth, Casper started as a caddie ...
down by four shots with eight holes to go, comes back to win the inaugural version of the tournament. He beats Pete Bondeson by one shot.
*1964: Billy Casper becomes Doral's first repeat winner. He finishes one shot ahead of Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. He won 117 professional tou ...
.
*1965: Doug Sanders
George Douglas Sanders (July 24, 1933 – April 12, 2020) was an American professional golfer who won 20 events on the PGA Tour and had four runner-up finishes at major championships.
Early years
He was born into a poor family in Cedartown, Geo ...
, winner the week before at the Pensacola Open
The Pensacola Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The inaugural version of the tournament was played in 1956 and its last edition in 1988.
Tournament highlights
* 1960: Arnold Palmer birdies the 72nd hole to win by one shot over Doug Sa ...
, comes out victorious at Doral for the first time. He beats Bruce Devlin by one shot.
*1969: Tom Shaw holds on to win his first ever PGA Tour title by one shot over Tommy Aaron in spite of making both a triple bogey and a double bogey during the tournament's final nine holes.
*1973: Lee Trevino
Lee Buck Trevino (born December 1, 1939) is an American retired professional golfer who is regarded as one of the greatest players in golf history. He was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981. Trevino won six major championships and 2 ...
shoots a first round 64 on his way to a wire to wire victory. He finishes one shot ahead of Bruce Crampton
Bruce Crampton (born 28 September 1935) is an Australian professional golfer.
Early life
Crampton was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and attended Kogarah High School from 1948 to 1950. In August 1953 he reached final of the New South Wales ...
and Tom Weiskopf
Thomas Daniel Weiskopf (November 9, 1942 – August 20, 2022) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. His most successful decade was the 1970s. He won 16 PGA Tour titles between 1968 and 1982, inclu ...
.
*1976: Hubert Green
Hubert Myatt Green (December 28, 1946 – June 19, 2018) was an American professional golfer who won 29 professional golf tournaments, including two major championships: the 1977 U.S. Open and the 1985 PGA Championship. He was inducted into the ...
shoots a tournament record 270 for 72 holes on his way to a six-shot win over Mark Hayes and Jack Nicklaus.
*1977: Andy Bean takes home his first Doral title on his 24th birthday. He edges David Graham by one shot.
*1978: Previously a three-time runner-up at Doral, Tom Weiskopf wins by one shot over Jack Nicklaus in spite of a final round 65 by the Golden Bear that included his holing out three wedge shots during the tournament's closing 18 holes.
*1979: Monday morning qualifier Mark McCumber wins by one shot over Bill Rogers.
*1980: Doral for the first time ever goes to sudden death to determine the winner. On the second playoff hole, Raymond Floyd
Raymond Loran Floyd (born September 4, 1942) is an American retired golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour, including four majors and four senior majors. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame i ...
chips in from just off the green to beat Jack Nicklaus.
*1981: Raymond Floyd becomes the first Doral champion to successfully defend his title. He wins by one shot over Keith Fergus
Keith Carlton Fergus (born March 3, 1954) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, the Nationwide Tour and the Champions Tour.
Fergus was born in Temple, Texas. He started playing golf at age 8. In high school, he pla ...
and David Graham.
*1986: Andy Bean defeats Hubert Green on the fourth hole of a sudden death playoff to become Doral's first three-time winner.
*1988: Ben Crenshaw
Ben Daniel Crenshaw (born January 11, 1952) is a retired American professional golfer who has won 19 events on the PGA Tour, including two major championships: the Masters Tournament in 1984 and 1995. He is nicknamed '' Gentle Ben''.
Professio ...
birdies the 72nd hole to win by one shot over Chip Beck and Mark McCumber.
*1990: Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian entrepreneur and retired professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 89 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournamen ...
shoots a final round 62. Then on the first hole of a sudden death playoff with Tim Simpson, Mark Calcavecchia
Mark John Calcavecchia (born June 12, 1960) is an American professional golfer and a former PGA Tour member. During his professional career, he won 13 PGA Tour events, including the 1989 Open Championship. He plays on the Champions Tour as well a ...
, and Paul Azinger
Paul William Azinger (born January 6, 1960) is an American professional golfer and TV golf He won twelve times on the PGA Tour, including one major championship, the 1993 PGA Championship. He spent almost 300 weeks in the top-10 of the Official ...
, he chips in for eagle to take home the title.
*1993: Greg Norman sets a new Doral record for 72 holes of 265 on his way to four stroke victory over Paul Azinger and Mark McCumber.
*1994: John Huston
John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...
, playing most of the final 18 holes by himself after his player partner Fred Couples
Frederick Steven Couples (born October 3, 1959) is an American professional golfer who has competed on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. A former World No. 1, he has won 64 professional tournaments, most notably the Masters Tournament ...
withdraws due to injury, wins by three shots over Brad Bryant and Billy Andrade
William Thomas Andrade (born January 25, 1964) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Champions Tour. He was previously a member of the PGA Tour, where he was a four-time winner.
Early life
Andrade was born in Bris ...
.
*1999: Steve Elkington
Stephen John Elkington (born 8 December 1962) is an Australian professional golfer on the PGA Tour Champions. Formerly on the PGA Tour, he spent more than fifty weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 1995 to 1998.
Elkingt ...
shoots a final round 64 to earn his second win at Doral. He edges Greg Kraft by one shot.
*2004: On the first hole of a sudden death playoff with Scott Verplank, Craig Parry
Craig David Parry (born 12 January 1966) is an Australian professional golfer. He has been one of Australia's premier golfers since turning professional in 1985, and has 23 career victories, two of those wins being events on the PGA Tour; the 2 ...
wins by holing out a 7-iron from 176 yards.
*2006: In spite of bogeying the final two holes, Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
holds on to win Doral for the second consecutive year. He finishes one shot ahead of David Toms
David Wayne Toms (born January 4, 1967) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. From 1992 to 2017, Toms was a member of the PGA Tour, where he won 13 events, including one major, the 2001 PGA Championshi ...
and Camilo Villegas
Camilo Villegas (; born 7 January 1982) is a Colombian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
Early years
Villegas was born in Medellín, Colombia, and took up golf as a child. After several different National Junior Championships in ...
.Woods defends Doral title
/ref>
Winners
Multiple winners
Nine men won this tournament more than once.
*3 wins
** Andy Bean: 1977, 1982, 1986
**Raymond Floyd
Raymond Loran Floyd (born September 4, 1942) is an American retired golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour, including four majors and four senior majors. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame i ...
: 1980, 1981, 1992
**Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian entrepreneur and retired professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 89 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournamen ...
: 1990, 1993, 1996
*2 wins
**Billy Casper
William Earl Casper Jr. (June 24, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American professional golfer. He was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s.
In his youth, Casper started as a caddie ...
: 1962, 1964
**Doug Sanders
George Douglas Sanders (July 24, 1933 – April 12, 2020) was an American professional golfer who won 20 events on the PGA Tour and had four runner-up finishes at major championships.
Early years
He was born into a poor family in Cedartown, Geo ...
: 1965, 1967
**Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. He won 117 professional tou ...
: 1972, 1975
** Mark McCumber: 1979, 1985
**Steve Elkington
Stephen John Elkington (born 8 December 1962) is an Australian professional golfer on the PGA Tour Champions. Formerly on the PGA Tour, he spent more than fifty weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 1995 to 1998.
Elkingt ...
: 1997, 1999
**Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
: 2005, 2006
References
External links
Doral Open results from 1970 to 2006 – Winners, Finishers, Scores and Earnings
Trump National Doral Golf Club
{{coord, 25.814, -80.340, type:event, display=title
Former PGA Tour events
Golf in Florida
Sports competitions in Florida
Sports competitions in Miami
Doral, Florida
Recurring sporting events established in 1962
Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2006
1962 establishments in Florida
2006 disestablishments in Florida