The Atlanta Classic was a

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

tournament on the

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...

, a regular stop in suburban

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

for over four decades. It was founded in

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

, although previous events dating to 1934 are included in the PGA Tour's past winners list.

AT&T AT&T Inc., an abbreviation for its predecessor's former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the w ...

was the last title sponsor of the tournament. From 1967 to

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, it was played at the

Atlanta Country Club Atlanta Country Club is a private golf club in the southeastern United States, located in the Chattahoochee Plantation section of East Cobb, Georgia, a suburb northwest of Atlanta. The club was founded in 1964 and opened two years later. Hist ...

in Marietta, northwest of Atlanta. From

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, it was played over the Stables and Meadows nines at TPC at Sugarloaf in

Duluth Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

, northeast of Atlanta. For most of its years, the Atlanta tournament was usually held in May. From

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, it was moved to early April, the week before the Masters. Its final two editions were in mid-May, a week after the Players Championship (which was moved from late March). The tournament was cancelled after the 2008 season. This event is not to be confused with the AT&T Champions Classic played in

Valencia, California Valencia is an unincorporated community in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The area, west of Interstate 5, is expanding with residential development and already includes major commercial and industrial parks. It stra ...

, a Champions Tour (now

PGA Tour Champions PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, open to golfers age 50 and over, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour. History and format The Senior PGA Championship, f ...

) tournament which bore the "AT&T Classic" name in

, prior to AT&T's acquisition of BellSouth. It was cancelled after the

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

season. TPC Sugarloaf currently hosts an annual PGA Tour Champions event, the

Mitsubishi Electric Classic The Mitsubishi Electric Classic is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour Champions in Georgia in the greater Atlanta area. It debuted in 2013 as the "Greater Gwinnett Championship," and has been played each year at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, a northeas ...

, which debuted in

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

Tournament highlights

*1967: Bob Charles wins the first modern era PGA Tour event played in Atlanta. He finishes two shots ahead of

Gardner Dickinson Gardner Edward Dickinson, Jr. (September 14, 1927 – April 19, 1998) was an American professional golfer. Born in Dothan, Alabama, Dickinson was a student of Ben Hogan and crafted his swing in the Hogan tradition. He played college golf at Lou ...

Tommy Bolt Thomas Henry Bolt (March 31, 1916 – August 30, 2008) was an American professional golfer. He did not join the PGA Tour until he was in his thirties, but he went on to win 15 PGA Tour titles, including the 1958 U.S. Open. He played in the Ryder ...

, and Richard Crawford. *1968;

Bob Lunn Robert J. Lunn (born April 24, 1945) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 1970s. Early life Lunn was born in San Francisco, California. He was the 1963 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion over Steve O ...

is victorious for the second straight week on the PGA Tour. He wins by three shots over

Lee Trevino Lee Buck Trevino (born December 1, 1939) is an American retired professional golfer who is regarded as one of the greatest players in golf history. He was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981. Trevino won six major championships and ...

. *1970: Georgia native

Tommy Aaron Thomas Dean Aaron (born February 22, 1937) is an American former professional golfer. He was a member of the PGA Tour during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Aaron is best known for winning the 1973 Masters Tournament. He is also known for an er ...

wins by one shot over

Dan Sikes Daniel David Sikes, Jr. (December 7, 1929 – December 20, 1987) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour. Sikes won nine tournaments as a pro, including six PGA Tour events. He was influential as the cha ...

Tom Weiskopf Thomas Daniel Weiskopf (November 9, 1942 – August 20, 2022) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. His most successful decade was the 1970s. He won 16 PGA Tour titles between 1968 and 1982, incl ...

came to the 72nd hole tied with Aaron but closed with a double bogey. *1972: Bob Lunn becomes the tournament's first repeat winner. He beats

Gary Player Gary James Player (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 tour and nine ...

by two shots. *1977:

Hale Irwin Hale S. Irwin (born June 3, 1945) is an American professional golfer. He was one of the world's leading golfers from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. He is one of the few players in history to win three U.S. Opens, becoming the oldest ever U.S. ...

becomes the first Atlanta champion to successfully defend his title. He beats Steve Veriato by two shots. *1979: Andy Bean shoots a third round 61 on his way to an 8-stroke victory over Joe Inman. *1980: Georgian

Larry Nelson Larry Gene Nelson (born September 10, 1947) is an American professional golfer. He has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level. Early life and amateur career Nelson was born in Fort Payne, Alabama and grew up in ...

wins by seven shots over Don Pooley and defending champion Andy Bean. *1983:

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 ...

shoots a final round 63, including a hole out for birdie from a bunker on the 71st hole. He wins by two shots over

Chip Beck Charles Henry "Chip" Beck (born September 12, 1956) is an American professional golfer. He has four victories on the PGA Tour and twenty runner-up finishes. He spent 40 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1988 and 198 ...

Jim Colbert James Joseph Colbert (born March 9, 1941) is an American professional golfer. Early life and amateur career Colbert was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He attended Kansas State University, where he finished second in the NCAA golf championsh ...

, and Don Pooley. *1986:

Bob Tway Robert Raymond Tway IV (born May 4, 1959) is an American professional golfer. He has won numerous tournaments including eight PGA Tour victories. He spent 25 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking in 1986–87. Early life Tway wa ...

shoots a final round 64 to win by two shots over

Hal Sutton Hal Evan Sutton (born April 28, 1958) is an American professional golfer, currently playing on the PGA Tour Champions, who achieved 14 victories on the PGA Tour, including the 1983 PGA Championship (a major championship) and the 1983 and 2000 ...

. *1988: Larry Nelson birdies the 72nd hole to become a two-time winner of the tournament. He edges Chip Beck by one shot. *1990:

Wayne Levi Wayne John Levi (born February 22, 1952) is an American professional golfer. Early life Levi was born in Little Falls (city), New York, Little Falls, New York and attended high school in Herkimer, New York. He enrolled at Oswego State University ...

birdies the 72nd hole in near darkness to earn his first PGA Tour win in five years. He finishes one shot ahead of

Nick Price Nicholas Raymond Leige Price (born 28 January 1957) is a Zimbabwean former professional golfer who has won three major championships in his career: the PGA Championship twice (in 1992 and 1994) and The Open Championship in 1994. In the mid-1 ...

, Keith Clearwater, and Larry Mize. *1992:

Tom Kite Thomas Oliver Kite Jr. (born December 9, 1949) is an American professional golfer and golf course architect. He won the U.S. Open in 1992 and spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between 1989 and 1994. Early life a ...

begins the final round bogey-bogey before making six consecutive birdies on his way to a three shot victory over

Jay Don Blake Jay Don Blake (born October 28, 1958) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. He currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. Early life and amateur career Blake was born and raised in St. George ...

. Amateur

David Duval David Robert Duval (born November 9, 1971) is an American professional golfer and former World No. 1 Golfer who competed on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. Duval won 13 PGA Tour tournaments between 1997 and 2001; inc ...

, a junior at

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...

held the 54 hole lead by two strokes before shooting a final round 79 to finish T13. *1994: John Daly wins by one shot over Brian Henninger and defending champion

Nolan Henke Nolan Jay Henke (born November 25, 1964) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. Henke was born in Battle Creek, Michigan. He attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida and was a ...

. Afterwards Daly says "This is the first tournament I've won on the PGA Tour in a sober fashion." *1996: Sixth alternate Paul Stankowski birdies the first sudden death playoff hole to defeat Brandel Chamblee. *1998:

Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins, PGA Tour wins, ranks second in List of men's major championships winning golfers, men's m ...

notches his only victory of the year in Atlanta. He finishes one shot ahead of Jay Don Blake. *2000:

Phil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson (born June 16, 1970) is an American professional golfer who currently plays in the LIV Golf League. He has won 45 events on the PGA Tour, including six Men's major golf championships, major championships: three Masters ...

wins for the first time in Atlanta. He birdies the first hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat

Gary Nicklaus Gary Nicklaus (born January 15, 1969) is an American former professional golfer. He spent three years as a member of the PGA Tour from 2000 to 2003, and has played on numerous tours, including most recently the PGA Tour Champions. He is best kno ...

. *2003: Ben Crane shoots a final round 63 to win by four shots over Bob Tway. *2006: Mickelson dominates the field, using two drivers in preparation for the Masters the following week. He concluded with an eagle on the 72nd hole to post a score of 28-under-par, a career best. Mickelson won by 13 strokes over

José María Olazábal José María Olazábal Manterola (, ; born 5 February 1966) is a Spanish Basques, Basque professional golfer from the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country, who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has wo ...

and

Zach Johnson Zachary Harris Johnson (born February 24, 1976) is an American professional golfer who has 12 victories on the PGA Tour, including two major championships, the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship. At the 2023 Ryder Cup, Johnson capt ...

, and would go on to win the Masters the next week. *2007:

seems to like playing golf in Georgia. His third career PGA Tour victory like his first two, the 2004 BellSouth Classic and the 2007 Masters Tournament take place in the state. He defeats

Ryuji Imada is a U.S.-based Japanese professional golfer. Biography Imada was born in Mihara, Hiroshima. He came to the United States when he was 14 to attend a Tampa golf academy for Asian players. His instructor was (and still is) Richard Abele, who beca ...

on the first hole of a sudden death playoff. *2008: The last version of the tournament sees Ryuji Imada win in a sudden death playoff over

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 2 ...

.Japan's Imada wins Atlanta Classic play-off
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Winners

References

External links

Official websitePGATOUR.com Tournament website
{{coord, 33.998, -84.109, type:event, display=title Former PGA Tour events Golf tournaments in Georgia (U.S. state) Sports competitions in Atlanta Recurring sporting events established in 1934 Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2008 1934 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) 2008 disestablishments in Georgia (U.S. state)