The Southwest Golf Classic was a

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 ...

event played at Fairway Oaks Golf & Racquet Club in

Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor County, Texas, Taylor and Jones County, Texas, Jones counties, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan ar ...

, from 1981 to 1988 (the facility was later renamed Fairway Oaks Country Club and is now a part of Abilene Country Club). The event had been known as the LaJet Classic when it began in 1981 and again in 1982. In 1983, the event was known as the LaJet Coors Classic and in 1984 it was known as the LaJet Golf Classic. From 1985 to 1987 it was known as the Southwest Golf Classic. In 1988, the tournament event was hosted by

Larry Gatlin Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers are an American country music vocal group. The group consists of lead singer Larry Gatlin (born May 2, 1948) and his brothers, Rudy and Steve Gatlin. The group achieved considerable success within the country ...

& The Gatlin Brothers, and was known as the Gatlin Brothers-Southwest Golf Classic. In 1989, the event became a

Senior PGA Tour 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 ...

event, and was renamed the Gatlin Brothers Southwest Senior Classic.

Tournament highlights

*1981:

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 ...

wins the inaugural version of the tournament. He finishes two shots ahead of

Gil Morgan Gilmer Bryan Morgan II, OD (born September 25, 1946) is an American professional golfer. Early life Morgan was born in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He graduated from East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma in 1968. Professional career In 1972, ...

. *1982:

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 ...

shoots a first round 64 on his way to a wire to wire victory by six shots over

Thomas Gray Thomas Gray (26 December 1716 – 30 July 1771) was an English poet, letter-writer, and classics, classical scholar at Cambridge University, being a fellow first of Peterhouse then of Pembroke College, Cambridge, Pembroke College. He is widely ...

Raymond Floyd Raymond Loran Floyd (born September 4, 1942) is an American retired professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour, including four majors and four senior majors. He was inducted into the World ...

, who was engaged in a tight battle with

Craig Stadler Craig Robert Stadler (born June 2, 1953) is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level, including one major championship, the 1982 Masters Tournament. Early life Stadler was bo ...

for that year's leading spot on the money list, left Abilene after shooting 146 for the first 36 holes thinking he would miss the cut. By the time Floyd learned he had not missed the cut, he had already returned to his home in Florida. Unable to make airline connections to meet his Saturday tee time, Floyd was forced to withdraw. *1986: Future 13-time winner and 1989 Open Champion

Mark Calcavecchia Mark John Calcavecchia (born June 12, 1960) is an American professional golfer and a former PGA Tour member. During his professional career, he won 13 PGA Tour events, including the 1989 Open Championship. He plays on the Champions Tour as well ...

notches his first PGA Tour title. He finishes three shots ahead of

Tom Byrum } Thomas Elliott Byrum (born September 28, 1960) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. Early life and amateur career Byrum was born in Onida, South Dakota. His brother was Curt, a future PGA Tour pro ...

. *1988:

Tom Purtzer Thomas Warren Purtzer (born December 5, 1951) is an American professional golfer. Purtzer won a number of tournaments on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. Early life and amateur career Purtzer was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He attended A ...

wins the last version of the tournament. He shoots a final round 64 before defeating Mark Brooks on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.Purtzer wins Southwest title
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Winners

References

External links

Tournament results (1981-1988) at GolfObserver.com
{{Former PGA Tour Events Former PGA Tour events Golf tournaments in Texas Sports in Abilene, Texas Recurring sporting events established in 1981 Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1988 1981 establishments in Texas 1988 disestablishments in Texas