The Tacoma Open Invitational was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour that was played in 1948 and won by Ed Oliver in a one-hole playoff with Cary Middlecoff 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.[1] Byron Nelson, 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.[2] In 1945, the event played as the Tacoma Open and was won by Jimmy Hines by one stroke over Harold "Jug" McSpaden.[1]

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.[2][3] Fircrest hosted the Carling Open Invitational in 1960.

Winners

Year Player Country Score To par Margin
of victory		 Runner(s)-up Winner's
share ($)		 Ref
Tacoma Open Invitational
1948 Ed Oliver  United States 274 −10 Playoff United States Chuck Congdon
United States Vic Ghezzi
United States Fred Haas
United States Cary Middlecoff		 2,150 [4]
1946–1947: No tournament
Tacoma Open
1945 Jimmy Hines  United States 275 −5 1 stroke United States Jug McSpaden 2,000 [5]

References

  1. ^ a b Paul Nyhan (August 21, 2002). "Tour History in Washington". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
  2. ^ a b "Fircrest Golf Club - About Us". Archived from the original on 2009-02-14. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
  3. ^ "Welcome to Fircrest Golf Club". Archived from the original on 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
  4. ^ "Ed Oliver Wins 5-man Playoff". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. September 21, 1948. p. 16.
  5. ^ "Jimmy Hines Tocama Winner". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. October 8, 1945. p. 7.
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