The Tacoma Open Invitational was a golf tournament on the

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...

that was played in 1948 and won by Ed Oliver in a one-hole playoff with

Cary Middlecoff Emmett Cary Middlecoff (January 6, 1921 – September 1, 1998) was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour from 1947 to 1961. His 39 Tour wins place him tied for tenth all-time, and he won three major championships. Middlecoff graduated as ...

after the two had survived a five-man, 18-hole playoff — the first in tour history. Oliver eagled the final playoff hole; Middlecoff birdied it.

Byron Nelson John Byron Nelson Jr. (February 4, 1912 – September 26, 2006) was an American professional golfer between 1935 and 1946, widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all time. Nelson and two other legendary champions of the time, Ben Hog ...

, who in 1945 won a record-setting 18 tournaments including 11 consecutively, ended up tied for ninth in the tournament — his worst finish of the year. In 1945, the event played as the Tacoma Open and was won by

Jimmy Hines James J. Hines (December 29, 1903 – May 11, 1986) was an American professional golfer. Hines was born in Mineola, New York. He won nine times on the PGA Tour and was selected to the 1939 Ryder Cup team but the event was cancelled due to World ...

by one stroke over

Harold "Jug" McSpaden Harold Lee "Jug" McSpaden (July 21, 1908 – April 22, 1996) was an American professional golfer, and golf course architect. Early career Born in Monticello, Kansas, McSpaden became interested in golf at the age of ten, after seeing Harry ...

. Both events were held at Fircrest Golf Club, an 18-hole, par-71 private club located just west of Tacoma. Construction on the course began in 1923 under the direction of Arthur Vernon Macan. It opened in 1924. Fircrest hosted the

Carling Open Invitational The Carling World Open was the last incarnation in a series of golf tournaments on the PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and N ...

in 1960.

Winners

References

{{Former PGA Tour Events Former PGA Tour events Golf in Washington (state) Sports in Tacoma, Washington