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PGA Tour Zurich Classic of New Orleans

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K.J. Choi - 2002 New Orleans

K.J. Choi's first PGA Tour victory happened in New Orleans in 2002, when the tournament was known as the Compaq Classic of New Orleans.

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About the PGA Tour Zurich Classic of New Orleans:

This tournament has been around for a long time, and been known by many different names. But there has always been one constant: New Orleans. Now called the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the tournament was first played in 1938. With the exception of a gap in the 1940s and '50s, this event has been played ever since in the Crescent City.

2010 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
• When: April 22-25
• Where: TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La.

2009 Tournament
Jerry Kelly earned his first PGA Tour win in seven years, edging Charles Howell III, Rory Sabbatini and Charlie Wi by one stroke.

Official Web site
PGA Tour tournament site

PGA Tour Zurich Classic of New Orleans Records:

  • Overall: 262 - Chip Beck, 1988
  • Tournament course record: TPC Louisiana - 64, Kyle Reifers, 2007

PGA Tour Zurich Classic of New Orleans Golf Courses:

The tournament's current home is TPC Louisiana, one of the PGA Tour-owned TPC courses. The Zurich Classic moved to TPC Louisiana in 2005, but the event was forced off the course in 2006 due to damage from Hurricane Katrina. It returned in 2007.

The tournament's host courses in its history are:

  • City Park Golf Club, New Orleans - 1938-46, 1948, 1958-62
  • Lakewood Country Club, New Orleans - 1963-1988
  • English Turn Golf & Country Club, New Orleans - 1989-2004, 2006
  • TPC Louisiana, Avondale - 2005, 2007-present

PGA Tour Zurich Classic of New Orleans Trivia and Notes:

  • "Lighthorse" Harry Cooper won the first playing of this tournament, in 1938 when it was named the Greater New Orleans Open Invitational.

  • What is now the Zurich Classic of New Orleans has had many different names over its long history. In chronological order, this event has been known as the Greater New Orleans Open Invitational, First NBC New Orleans Open, Greater New Orleans Open, USF&G New Orleans Open, USF&G Classic, Freeport McMoran Classic, Freeport-McDermott Classic, Compaq Classic of New Orleans, HP Classic of New Orleans, and Zurich Classic of New Olreans. Whew!
  • Billy Casper won the New Orleans tournament twice, the first time in 1958 (when be beat Ken Venturi in a playoff) and the second time in 1975 - a 17-year gap between victories. That 1975 win was the last of Casper's 51 PGA Tour victories.

  • Jack Nicklaus had three runner-up finishes in New Orleans (1964, 1967, 1972) before getting his only win here in 1973, when he defeated Miller Barber in a playoff.

  • Lee Trevino won the 1974 event with a score of 21-under 267 that included zero bogeys. It is the most-recent time any player has played a 72-hole tournament on the PGA Tour without making a bogey.
  • There are four back-to-back winners in tournament history: Byron Nelson, 1945-46; Bo Wininger, 1962-63; Tom Watson, 1980-81; Carlos Franco, 1999-2000. The tournament had two different names for Watson's wins. It was the Greater New Orleans Open in 1980, then the USF&G New Orleans Open in 1981.
  • K.J. Choi's win in 2002 was his first career victory on the PGA Tour.

  • From 2002 through 2007, five of the six tournament winners earned their first victories on the PGA Tour (K.J. Choi, 2002; Steve Flesch, 2003; Tim Petrovic, 2005; Chris Couch, 2006; Nick Watney, 2007).

    • PGA Tour Zurich Classic of New Orleans Winners:

    (p-playoff; w-weather shortened)

    Zurich Classic of New Orleans
    2009 - Jerry Kelly, 274
    2008 - Andres Romero, 275
    2007 - Nick Watney, 273
    2006 - Chris Couch, 269
    2005 - Tim Petrovic-p, 275

    HP Classic of New Orleans
    2004 - Vijay Singh, 266
    2003 - Steve Flesch-p, 267

    Compaq Classic of New Orleans
    2002 - K.J. Choi, 271
    2001 - David Toms, 266
    2000 - Carlos Franco-p, 270
    1999 - Carlos Franco, 269

    Freeport-McDermott Classic
    1998 - Lee Westwood, 273
    1997 - Brad Faxon, 272
    1996 - Scott McCarron, 275

    Freeport McMoRan Classic
    1995 - Davis Love III-p, 274
    1994 - Ben Crenshaw, 273
    1993 - Mike Standly, 281
    1992 - Chip Beck, 276

    USF&G Classic
    1991 - Ian Woosnam-p, 275
    1990 - David Frost, 276
    1989 - Tim Simpson, 274
    1988 - Chip Beck, 262
    1987 - Ben Crenshaw, 268
    1986 - Calvin Peete, 269
    1985 - Seve Ballesteros-w, 205
    1984 - Bob Eastwood, 272
    1983 - Bill Rogers, 274
    1982 - Scott Hoch-w, 206

    USF&G New Orleans Open
    1981 - Tom Watson, 270

    Greater New Orleans Open
    1980 - Tom Watson, 273

    First NBC New Orleans Open
    1979 - Hubert Green, 273
    1978 - Lon Hinkle, 271
    1977 - Jim Simons, 273
    1976 - Larry Ziegler, 274
    1975 - Billy Casper, 271

    Greater New Orleans Open Invitational
    1974 - Lee Trevino, 267
    1973 - Jack Nicklaus-p, 280
    1972 - Gary Player, 279
    1971 - Frank Beard, 276
    1970 - Miller Barber-p, 278
    1969 - Larry Hinson-p, 275
    1968 - George Archer, 271
    1967 - George Knudson, 277
    1966 - Frank Beard, 276
    1965 - Dick Mayer, 273
    1964 - Mason Rudolph, 283
    1963 - Bo Wininger, 279
    1962 - Bo Wininger, 281
    1961 - Doug Sanders, 272
    1960 - Dow Finsterwald, 270
    1959 - Bill Collins, 280
    1958 - Billy Casper-p, 278
    1957 - Not played
    1956 - Not played
    1955 - Not played
    1954 - Not played
    1953 - Not played
    1952 - Not played
    1951 - Not played
    1950 - Not played
    1949 - Not played
    1948 - Bob Hamilton, 280
    1947 - Not played
    1946 - Byron Nelson, 277
    1945 - Byron Nelson-p, 284
    1944 - Sammy Byrd, 285
    1943 - Not played
    1942 - Lloyd Mangrum, 281
    1941 - Henry Picard, 276
    1940 - Jimmy Demaret, 286
    1939 - Henry Picard, 284
    1938 - Harry Cooper, 285

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