American Golf Classic

Tournament information
Location	Akron, Ohio
Established	1961
Course(s)	Firestone Country Club (North Course)
Par	72
Length	7,105 yards (6,497 m)[1][2]
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$200,000
Month played	August
Final year	1976
Tournament record score
Aggregate	268 Raymond Floyd (1969)
To par	−14 David Graham (1976)
Final champion
David Graham
Location Map
Firestone CC Location in the United States Show map of the United States Firestone CC Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio

The American Golf Classic was a tournament on the PGA Tour from 1961 to 1976 at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. It was the third event at the storied South course, after the Rubber City Open Invitational (1954–1959) and the PGA Championship in 1960.^[3]

The final edition in 1976 was played on the North course, with the World Series of Golf held the following week on the South course.^[1][4] The World Series of Golf was succeeded by the current WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, held on the South course.

Tournament highlights

• 1961: Jay Hebert wins the inaugural version of the tournament by defeating Gary Player on the second hole of a sudden death playoff. To get in the playoff, Hebert had to make a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole.^[5]
• 1963: Johnny Pott leads the second AGC wire to wire. He wins by four shots over Arnold Palmer.^[6]
• 1964: Ken Venturi makes the AGC his third triumph for 1964. He finishes five shots ahead of Mason Rudolph.^[7]
• 1965: Al Geiberger wins for the 3rd time ever on the PGA Tour. He finishes four shots ahead of Arnold Palmer. One year later, Geiberger would also win the PGA Championship at the Firestone Country Club.^[8]
• 1967: Arnold Palmer becomes the first and only multiple winner of the AGC. He finishes three shots ahead of Doug Sanders.^[9]
• 1968: Jack Nicklaus wins in a sudden death playoff over Lee Elder and Frank Beard.^[10] Elder, a tour rookie at the time, matched Nicklaus shot for shot for four extra holes before losing on the fifth. The finish of the 1968 American Golf Classic has been called one of the most exciting in televised golf history.^[11]
• 1969: Raymond Floyd shoots a final round 65 to win by four shots over Bobby Nichols.^[12]
• 1973: Bruce Crampton wins by three shots over Lanny Wadkins, Gay Brewer, and Bob Murphy. It is Crampton's 4th win of the year and at the time vaults him to #1 on the money list for the year.^[13]
• 1974: Jim Colbert wins the AGC in a four-way playoff.^[2] He defeats Raymond Floyd, Gay Brewer, and Forrest Fezler.^[14]
• 1976: David Graham wins the last edition of the tournament, the only one played on the North course.^[1] He finished four shots ahead of Lou Graham.^[15]

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1976	David Graham	274	−14	4 strokes	Lou Graham
1975: No tournament
1974	Jim Colbert	281	+1	Playoff	Gay Brewer Forrest Fezler Raymond Floyd
1973	Bruce Crampton	273	−7	3 strokes	Gay Brewer Bob Murphy Lanny Wadkins
1972	Bert Yancey	276	−4	Playoff	Tom Ulozas
1971	Jerry Heard	275	−5	3 strokes	Dale Douglass
1970	Frank Beard	276	−4	2 strokes	Tommy Aaron Bruce Crampton Jack Nicklaus
1969	Raymond Floyd	268	−12	4 strokes	Bobby Nichols
1968	Jack Nicklaus	280	E	Playoff	Frank Beard Lee Elder
1967	Arnold Palmer (2)	276	−4	3 strokes	Doug Sanders
1966: No tournament
1965	Al Geiberger	280	E	4 strokes	Arnold Palmer
1964	Ken Venturi	275	−5	5 strokes	Mason Rudolph
1963	Johnny Pott	276	−4	4 strokes	Arnold Palmer
1962	Arnold Palmer	276	−4	5 strokes	Mason Rudolph
1961	Jay Hebert	278	−2	Playoff	Gary Player