The West End Classic was PGA Tour satellite event that was played at the Grand Bahama Hotel and Country Club in West End on Grand Bahama Island from 1967 to 1969. In 1970 it was replaced by a new PGA Tour event, the Bahamas National Open, which was contested in 1970 and 1971.[1]
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | West End, Bahamas |
| Established | 1967 |
| Course(s) | Grand Bahama Hotel and Country Club |
| Par | 72 |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | US$25,000 |
| Month played | December |
| Final year | 1969 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 274 Jim Wiechers (1969) |
| To par | −14 as above |
| Final champion | |
 Jim Wiechers | |
| Location map | |
  Grand Bahama Hotel and CC Location in The Bahamas | |
Summary
In 1967, Butch Baird won by one stroke over Bert Weaver, winning $4,000 from a $20,000 purse.[2] In 1968, Bruce Crampton won by two strokes, winning $4,000 from a $20,000 purse.[3] The 1969 tournament was won by Jim Wiechers, a 25-year-old Californian,[4] by five strokes over Al Besselink and Johnny Pott. The purse was $25,000 with $5,000 going to the winner.[5] The 1969 tournament was played in December opposite the Danny Thomas-Diplomat Classic, which was won by Arnold Palmer. The field, however, was better than a normal satellite field because it was the last tournament of the year, and the players were jockeying for position on the top-60 money list.
Players were allowed to use the regular-sized American ball and/or the smaller English ball. This may have been the only time that this was ever allowed during a PGA-sanctioned event. The competitors would play the bigger ball down wind, and the small ball into the wind.
Winners
| Year | Tour[a] | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | PGAT | Jim Wiechers | 274 | −14 | 5 strokes | Al Besselink Johnny Pott | [6][5] |
| 1968 |  Bruce Crampton | 276 | −12 | 2 strokes | Gene Borek Bob Watson | [7][3] | |
| 1967 | Butch Baird | 279 | −9 | 1 stroke | Bert Weaver | [8][2] |