The Greater Milwaukee Open was a regular
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 in
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
on the
PGA Tour. For 42 years, it was played annually in the
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
area, the final sixteen editions in the north suburb of
Brown Deer at the
Brown Deer Park Golf Course.
U.S. Bancorp was the main sponsor of the tournament in its final years and the last purse in
2009 was
$4 million, with a winner's share of $720,000. The event was run by Milwaukee Golf Charities, Inc., with proceeds going to a variety of Wisconsin charities.
History
The tournament debuted in
1968 as the Greater Milwaukee Open (or GMO),
competing against the
British Open by offering a $200,000 purse (second highest on the Tour) with a $40,000 first prize.
Lee Trevino, the recent
U.S. Open winner, chose to play in the more lucrative GMO instead of the
1968 British Open.
Art Wall Jr., the champion, won in
1975 at age 51 for his first tour win in
nine years,
his fourteenth and final win on the tour. Wall was one stroke ahead of 27-year-old runner-up
Gary McCord, later a noted golf commentator, but winless in his career on the PGA Tour.
In 2004,
U.S. Bank signed on as title sponsor. In July 2006, U.S. Bank and Milwaukee Golf Charities Inc. announced that U.S. Bank will remain the sponsor for at least three more years.
The tournament was played at four courses in the Milwaukee area:
It was nationally televised beginning in 1989, and
Tiger Woods made his professional debut in
1996 at Brown Deer with a 67 on August 29,
four days after winning his third consecutive
U.S. Amateur
The United States Amateur Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Amateur, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers. It is organized by the United States Golf Association and is currently held each August ov ...
title in Oregon.
At age 20, he made the cut and tied for 60th place, earning a modest $2,544.
The event ended when U.S. Bank announced that it would not renew its sponsorship after the 2009 event. Secondary sponsor
Aurora Health Care
Advocate Aurora Health (AAH) is a non-profit health care system with dual headquarters located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Downers Grove, Illinois. As of 2021, the AAH system has 26 hospitals and more than 500 sites of care, with 75,000 em ...
also announced that it would substantially cut back on its financial involvement. Before U.S. Bank's sponsorship, the tournament survived thanks to the help of late philanthropist Jane Pettit. Its slot on the PGA Tour schedule against the
British Open, along with low attendance and TV ratings, were reasons cited by U.S. Bank for pulling out of the event. The Greater Milwaukee Charities organization has closed its offices and has shut down.
Tournament highlights
* 1968:
Dave Stockton wins the first Greater Milwaukee Open despite twice striking spectators with his drives in the final round. He beats
Sam Snead
Samuel Jackson Snead (pronounced English_phonology">sni:d.html" ;"title="English_phonology.html" ;"title="nowiki/>English phonology">sni:d">English_phonology.html" ;"title="nowiki/>English phonology">sni:d May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) was an ...
by four shots.
* 1969:
Ken Still
Kenneth Allan Still (February 12, 1935 – March 19, 2017) was an American professional golfer who played on both the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.
Still was born in Tacoma, Washington. During his early twenties, he developed a friendship wit ...
shoots a final round 65 to beat
Gary Player
Gary James Player DMS, OIG (born 1 November 1935) is a South African retired professional golfer who is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. During his career, Player won nine major championships on the regular tou ...
by two strokes. The win all but clinches Still a spot on the
Ryder Cup team.
* 1970:
Deane Beman makes the most of his withdrawal from the
Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
to play in Milwaukee instead. He beats
Don Massengale,
Ted Hayes, and
Richard Crawford by three shots.
* 1974:
Ed Sneed
Edgar Sneed Jr. (born August 6, 1944) is an American professional golfer, sportscaster and course design consultant, who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.
Sneed was born in Roanoke, Virginia. He graduated from Ohio State University ...
is the tournament's first wire-to-wire winner. He beats
Grier Jones
Grier Jones (born May 6, 1946) is a former college head golf coach and former PGA Tour professional golfer.
Jones was born, raised and has been a lifelong resident of Wichita, Kansas. He attended Wichita's Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School wh ...
by 4 shots.
* 1975: 51-year-old
Art Wall Jr. beats
Gary McCord by one shot.
* 1978:
Lee Elder defeats
Lee Trevino on the 8th hole of a sudden death playoff.
* 1979: Black golfer
Calvin Peete
Calvin Peete (July 18, 1943 – April 29, 2015) was an American professional golfer. He was the most successful African-American to have played on the PGA Tour, with 12 wins, prior to the emergence of Tiger Woods. Peete won the 1985 Tournament ...
, who did not take up golf until he was 23 years old, wins for the first time on the PGA Tour. He shoots a final round 65 to beat
Jim Simons, Lee Trevino, and
Victor Regalado
Victor Regalado (born 15 April 1948) is a Mexican professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour.
Early life
Regalado was born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico.
Amateur career
As an amateur, he played in tournaments in the San Diego, Californ ...
by five shots.
* 1982: Calvin Peete wins at Milwaukee and on the PGA Tour for the second time and in almost carbon copy fashion from his 1979 win. He finishes two strokes ahead of Victor Regalado who was also runner-up in 1979.
* 1985:
Jack Nicklaus competes in Milwaukee for the first time as a professional. He finishes second, three strokes behind winner
Jim Thorpe.
* 1986:
Corey Pavin wins in Milwaukee for the first time. He birdies the 4th hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat
Dave Barr.
* 1989:
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 tournament ...
competes in Milwaukee for the first time. He beats
Andy Bean by 3 shots.
* 1993:
Billy Mayfair
William Fred Mayfair (born August 6, 1966) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
Early years and amateur career
Mayfair was born in Phoenix, Arizona. Before his fifteenth birthday, he won numerous junior golf tournaments. ...
holes a 20-foot
chip shot on the fourth hole of a three-way sudden death playoff to defeat
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 earn his first PGA Tour title.
Ted Schulz had dropped out on the first playoff hole after making bogey.
* 1996:
Tiger Woods makes his professional debut at the age of 20 four days after winning his third consecutive
U.S. Amateur
The United States Amateur Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Amateur, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers. It is organized by the United States Golf Association and is currently held each August ov ...
title.
He shoots -7 for the tournament (67-69-73-68), including his first-ever hole-in-one as a professional on the 14th hole during his final round, to finish tied for 60th and earn $2,544.
* 1997:
Loren Roberts
Loren Lloyd Roberts (born June 24, 1955) is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions.
Early life
Roberts was born in San Luis Obispo, California. He competed for San Luis Obispo Senior High Scho ...
attempt to become the first Greater Milwaukee Open champion to defend his title is foiled when
Scott Hoch sinks a 60-foot chip shot for eagle on the 72nd hole to beat Roberts and
David Sutherland by one shot.
* 1999:
Carlos Franco
Carlos Daniel Franco (born 24 May 1965) is a Paraguayan professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He is the brother of golfer Ángel Franco.
Franco was born in Asunción, Paraguay. He comes from a poor background and ...
wins for the second time in his rookie season on the PGA Tour. He beats
Tom Lehman by two shots.
* 2003:
Kenny Perry
James Kenneth Perry (born August 10, 1960) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He won 14 PGA Tour events and has won nine PGA Tour Champions events including four senior major championships: the 201 ...
birdies the 72nd hole to win by one shot over
Stephen Allan and
Heath Slocum.
* 2006: Corey Pavin sets a 9-hole PGA Tour scoring record, 26, on his way to a first round 61. Pavin, who had first won in Milwaukee in 1986, goes on to win the tournament for a second time, beating
Jerry Kelly by two shots.
* 2009:
Bo Van Pelt wins the final edition of the tournament. He defeats
John Mallinger
John Charles Mallinger (born September 25, 1979) is an American professional golfer.
Early life
Mallinger was born in Escondido, California, and is the youngest of four children. He graduated from Escondido High School.
Amateur career
Mallin ...
on the second hole of a sudden death playoff.
Bo Van Pelt wins PGA Milwaukee title playoff
/ref>
Winners
''Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.''
Multiple winners
Eight men won the GMO more than once, but none more than twice.
* 2 wins: Dave Stockton (1968, 1973), Dave Eichelberger
Martin Davis Eichelberger, Jr. (born September 3, 1943) is an American professional golfer who has won several tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour levels.
Eichelberger was born in Waco, Texas. He started in the game at the age of ...
(1971, 1977), Calvin Peete
Calvin Peete (July 18, 1943 – April 29, 2015) was an American professional golfer. He was the most successful African-American to have played on the PGA Tour, with 12 wins, prior to the emergence of Tiger Woods. Peete won the 1985 Tournament ...
(1979, 1982), Scott Hoch (1995, 1997), Loren Roberts
Loren Lloyd Roberts (born June 24, 1955) is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions.
Early life
Roberts was born in San Luis Obispo, California. He competed for San Luis Obispo Senior High Scho ...
(1996, 2000), Jeff Sluman (1998, 2002), Carlos Franco
Carlos Daniel Franco (born 24 May 1965) is a Paraguayan professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He is the brother of golfer Ángel Franco.
Franco was born in Asunción, Paraguay. He comes from a poor background and ...
(1999, 2004), and Corey Pavin (1986, 2006)
See also
* Other former PGA Tour events in Milwaukee
** Milwaukee Open, 1940
** Blue Ribbon Open, 1951
** Milwaukee Open Invitational, 1955–61
References
External links
Official website
PGATOUR.com Tournament website
{{Former PGA Tour Events
Former PGA Tour events
Golf in Wisconsin
Sports in Milwaukee
Recurring sporting events established in 1968
Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2009
1968 establishments in Wisconsin
2009 disestablishments in Wisconsin
Defunct sports competitions in the United States