The Thunderbird Invitational was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played from 1952 to 1959 in Rancho Mirage, California.[2][3][4] Held in late January at Thunderbird Country Club, the tournament's purse was a modest $15,000; it was the direct predecessor of the Desert Classic, which began in 1960. Thunderbird hosted the Ryder Cup in 1955.[5][6]
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Rancho Mirage, California |
| Established | 1953 |
| Course(s) | Thunderbird Country Club |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,680 yards (6,110 m)[1] |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | US$15,000 |
| Month played | January |
| Final year | 1959 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 266 Arnold Palmer (1959) |
| To par | −20 Fred Haas (1954) |
| Final champion | |
 Arnold Palmer | |
| Location map | |
  Thunderbird CC Location in the United States  Thunderbird CC Location in California | |
Arnold Palmer, 29, was the event's final champion in 1959;[1][4] he won the next year at the first edition of the "Palm Springs Desert Classic," which had a $100,000 purse and a winner's share of 12,000, his largest tour check to date.[7]
Ken Venturi, 26, won the 1958 event and was awarded a $1,500 check and a $4,500 automobile.[8]He backed it up with another win the following week at Phoenix.[9]
Jimmy Demaret won the event three times; his first was a 54-hole midweek event in 1953,[10][11] and the last was an 18-hole playoff on Monday in 1957 for consecutive titles.[12][13]
The 1952 event was a 36 hole pro-am, played midweek. Dutch Harrison won the best-ball while Jim Ferrier and Cary Middlecoff had the best professional scores.[14][15]
Winners
| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Arnold Palmer | 266 | −18 | 3 strokes | Jimmy Demaret Ken Venturi | 1,500 | [1][4] |
| 1958 | Ken Venturi | 269 | −15 | 4 strokes | Jimmy Demaret Gene Littler | 1,500 | [8] |
| 1957 | Jimmy Demaret (3) | 273 | −11 | Playoff | Mike Souchak Ken Venturi | 2,000 | [12][13] |
| 1956 | Jimmy Demaret (2) | 269 | −15 | 1 stroke | Cary Middlecoff | 2,000 | [16] |
| 1955 | Shelley Mayfield | 270 | −18 | Playoff | Fred Haas Mike Souchak | 2,000 | [17] |
| 1954 | Fred Haas | 268 | −20 | 2 strokes | Marty Furgol Chandler Harper Bo Wininger | 2,000 | [3] |
| 1953 | Jimmy Demaret | 201 | −15 | 2 strokes | Ben Hogan Lloyd Mangrum Jim Turnesa | 1,500 | [10][11] |
Playoffs
In 1953 it was over 54 holes, midweek. In 1955 Mayfield won with a birdie on second extra hole after 18-hole playoff. Mayfield and Souchak scored 69, Haas 70. In 1957 Demaret won after an 18-hole playoff, scoring 67, Souchak scored 75 and Venturi 76.