Greater Milwaukee Open

U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee

Tournament information
Location	Brown Deer, Wisconsin
Established	1968
Course(s)	Brown Deer Park Golf Course
Par	70
Length	6,759 yards (6,180 m)
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$4,000,000
Month played	July
Final year	2009
Tournament record score
Aggregate	260 Loren Roberts (2000) 260 Ben Crane (2005) 260 Corey Pavin (2006)
To par	−24 Loren Roberts (2000)
Final champion
Bo Van Pelt
Location Map
Brown Deer Park GC Location in the United States Show map of the United States Brown Deer Park GC Location in Wisconsin Show map of Wisconsin

The Greater Milwaukee Open was a regular golf tournament in Wisconsin on the PGA Tour. For 42 years, it was played annually in the 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),^[1] 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.^[2]

Art Wall Jr., the 1959 Masters champion, won in 1975 at age 51 for his first tour win in nine years,^[3][4] 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.^[5]

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,^[7] four days after winning his third consecutive U.S. Amateur title in Oregon.^[8] At age 20, he made the cut and tied for 60th place, earning a modest $2,544.^[9][10]

The event ended when U.S. Bank announced that it would not renew its sponsorship after the 2009 event. Secondary sponsor Aurora Health Care 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.^[11] 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 by four shots.^[12]
• 1969: Ken Still shoots a final round 65 to beat Gary Player by two strokes. The win all but clinches Still a spot on the Ryder Cup team.^[13]
• 1970: Deane Beman makes the most of his withdrawal from the Open Championship to play in Milwaukee instead. He beats Don Massengale, Ted Hayes, and Richard Crawford by three shots.^[14]
• 1974: Ed Sneed is the tournament's first wire-to-wire winner. He beats Grier Jones by 4 shots.^[15]
• 1975: 51-year-old Art Wall Jr. beats Gary McCord by one shot.^[16]
• 1978: Lee Elder defeats Lee Trevino on the 8th hole of a sudden death playoff.^[17]
• 1979: Black golfer Calvin Peete, 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 by five shots.^[18]
• 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.^[19]
• 1985: Jack Nicklaus competes in Milwaukee for the first time as a professional.^[20] He finishes second, three strokes behind winner Jim Thorpe.^[21]
• 1986: Corey Pavin wins in Milwaukee for the first time. He birdies the 4th hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Dave Barr.^[22]
• 1989: Greg Norman competes in Milwaukee for the first time. He beats Andy Bean by 3 shots.^[23]
• 1993: Billy Mayfair holes a 20-foot chip shot on the fourth hole of a three-way sudden death playoff to defeat Mark Calcavecchia and earn his first PGA Tour title. Ted Schulz had dropped out on the first playoff hole after making bogey.^[24]
• 1996: Tiger Woods makes his professional debut at the age of 20 four days after winning his third consecutive U.S. Amateur title.^[7][8] 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.^[9][10][25]
• 1997: Loren Roberts 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.^[26]
• 1999: Carlos Franco wins for the second time in his rookie season on the PGA Tour. He beats Tom Lehman by two shots.^[27]
• 2003: Kenny Perry birdies the 72nd hole to win by one shot over Stephen Allan and Heath Slocum.^[28]
• 2006: Corey Pavin sets a 9-hole PGA Tour scoring record, 26, on his way to a first round 61.^[29] 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.^[30]
• 2009: Bo Van Pelt wins the final edition of the tournament. He defeats John Mallinger on the second hole of a sudden death playoff.^[31]

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Winner's share ($)
U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee
2009	Bo Van Pelt	267	−13	Playoff	John Mallinger	720,000
2008	Richard S. Johnson	264	−16	1 stroke	Ken Duke	720,000
2007	Joe Ogilvie	266	−14	4 strokes	Tim Clark Tim Herron Charlie Wi	720,000
2006	Corey Pavin (2)	260	−20	2 strokes	Jerry Kelly	720,000
2005	Ben Crane	260	−20	4 strokes	Scott Verplank	684,000
2004	Carlos Franco (2)	267	−13	2 strokes	Fred Funk Brett Quigley	630,000
Greater Milwaukee Open
2003	Kenny Perry	268	−12	1 stroke	Stephen Allan Heath Slocum	630,000
2002	Jeff Sluman (2)	261	−23	4 strokes	Tim Herron Steve Lowery	558,000
2001	Shigeki Maruyama	266	−18	Playoff	Charles Howell III	558,000
2000	Loren Roberts (2)	260	−24	8 strokes	Franklin Langham	450,000
1999	Carlos Franco	264	−20	2 strokes	Tom Lehman	414,000
1998	Jeff Sluman	265	−19	1 stroke	Steve Stricker	324,000
1997	Scott Hoch (2)	268	−16	1 stroke	Loren Roberts David Sutherland	234,000
1996	Loren Roberts	265	−19	Playoff	Jerry Kelly	216,000
1995	Scott Hoch	269	−15	3 strokes	Marco Dawson	180,000
1994	Mike Springer	268	−16	1 stroke	Loren Roberts	180,000
1993	Billy Mayfair	270	−18	Playoff	Mark Calcavecchia Ted Schulz	180,000
1992	Richard Zokol	269	−19	2 strokes	Dick Mast	180,000
1991	Mark Brooks	270	−18	1 stroke	Robert Gamez	180,000
1990	Jim Gallagher Jr.	271	−17	Playoff	Ed Dougherty Billy Mayfair	162,000
1989	Greg Norman	269	−19	3 strokes	Andy Bean	144,000
1988	Ken Green	268	−20	6 strokes	Mark Calcavecchia Jim Gallagher Jr. Donnie Hammond Dan Pohl	126,000
1987	Gary Hallberg	269	−19	2 strokes	Wayne Levi Robert Wrenn	108,000
1986	Corey Pavin	272	−16	Playoff	Dave Barr	72,000
1985	Jim Thorpe	274	−14	3 strokes	Jack Nicklaus	54,000
1984	Mark O'Meara	272	−16	5 strokes	Tom Watson	54,000
1983	Morris Hatalsky	275	−13	Playoff	George Cadle	45,000
1982	Calvin Peete (2)	274	−14	2 strokes	Victor Regalado	45,000
1981	Jay Haas	274	−14	3 strokes	Chi-Chi Rodríguez	45,000
1980	Billy Kratzert	266	−22	4 strokes	Howard Twitty	36,000
1979	Calvin Peete	269	−19	5 strokes	Victor Regalado Jim Simons Lee Trevino	36,000
1978	Lee Elder	275	−13	Playoff	Lee Trevino	30,000
1977	Dave Eichelberger (2)	278	−10	2 strokes	Morris Hatalsky Gary McCord Mike Morley	26,000
1976	Dave Hill	270	−18	3 strokes	John Jacobs	26,000
1975	Art Wall Jr.	271	−17	1 stroke	Gary McCord	26,000
1974	Ed Sneed	276	−12	4 strokes	Grier Jones	26,000
1973	Dave Stockton (2)	276	−12	1 stroke	Homero Blancas Hubert Green	26,000
1972	Jim Colbert	271	−13	1 stroke	Buddy Allin Chuck Courtney George Johnson Grier Jones	25,000
1971	Dave Eichelberger	270	−14	1 stroke	Ralph Johnston Bob Shaw	25,000
1970	Deane Beman	276	−12	3 strokes	Richard Crawford Ted Hayes Jr. Don Massengale	22,000
1969	Ken Still	277	−11	2 strokes	Gary Player	20,000
1968	Dave Stockton	275	−13	4 strokes	Sam Snead	40,000

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 (1971, 1977), Calvin Peete (1979, 1982), Scott Hoch (1995, 1997), Loren Roberts (1996, 2000), Jeff Sluman (1998, 2002), Carlos Franco (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

43°09′18″N 87°57′11″W / 43.155°N 87.953°W / 43.155; -87.953

This page was last edited on 24 March 2024, at 03:55