Michelob Championship

The Michelob Championship at Kingsmill was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2002. It was played in Virginia at the River Course of Kingsmill Golf Club outside of Williamsburg, from 1981 to 2002. From 1977 through 1995, it was known as the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic.

Michelob Championship
at Kingsmill

Winners' sign at Kingsmill Resort
Tournament information
Location	Williamsburg, Virginia Napa, California (1968–1980)
Established	1968
Course(s)	Kingsmill Golf Club, River Course (1981–2002) Silverado Country Club North Course (1968–1980)
Par	71
Length	6,853 yards (6,266 m)[1]
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play - 72 holes
Prize fund	$3.7 million
Month played	October
Final year	2002, 19 years ago
Final champion
Charles Howell III

Napa

Williamsburg 

Locations in the United States

Kingsmill 
Golf Club

Location in Virginia (1981–2002)

Silverado
Country Club

Location in California (1968–1980)

The event was founded in 1968 as the Kaiser International Open Invitational, which was played in northern California at Silverado Country Club in Napa through 1980. In its second year, it was played twice. At the second edition in January 1969, three days of rain washed out the final two rounds of play and 36-hole leader Miller Barber was declared the winner, but only half the prize money was distributed.[2][3] The tournament was rescheduled for late October/early November and Jack Nicklaus was the winner in a four-man playoff, decided on the second extra hole on Monday.[4][5]

The purse of the inaugural event in 1968 was $125,000, and Kermit Zarley took the winner's share of $25,000 in January for his first tour win.[6] The final event in 2002 had a purse of $3.7 million, with a winner's share of $666,000 to Charles Howell III in early October.[1]

From 2003 to 2009, an LPGA Tour event, the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill, was played at the same location. In 2012, the LPGA Tour event returned, renamed the Kingsmill Championship.

Winners

Year	Winner	Country	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Winner's share ($)
Michelob Championship at Kingsmill
2002	Charles Howell III	United States	270	−14	2 strokes	Scott Hoch Brandt Jobe	666,000
2001	David Toms (2)	United States	269	−15	1 stroke	Kirk Triplett	630,000
2000	David Toms	United States	271	−13	Playoff	Mike Weir	540,000
1999	Notah Begay III	United States	274	−10	Playoff	Tom Byrum	450,000
1998	David Duval (2)	United States	268	−16	3 strokes	Phil Tataurangi	342,000
1997	David Duval	United States	271	−13	Playoff	Grant Waite Duffy Waldorf	279,000
1996	Scott Hoch	United States	265	−19	4 strokes	Tom Purtzer	225,000
Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic
1995	Ted Tryba	United States	271	−12	1 stroke	Scott Simpson	198,000
1994	Mark McCumber (2)	United States	267	−17	3 strokes	Glen Day	198,000
1993	Jim Gallagher Jr.	United States	269	−15	2 strokes	Chip Beck	198,000
1992	David Peoples	United States	271	−13	1 stroke	Bill Britton Ed Dougherty Jim Gallagher Jr.	198,000
1991	Mike Hulbert	United States	266	−18	Playoff	Kenny Knox	180,000
1990	Lanny Wadkins	United States	266	−18	5 strokes	Larry Mize	180,000
1989	Mike Donald	United States	268	−16	Playoff	Tim Simpson Hal Sutton	153,000
1988	Tom Sieckmann	United States	270	−14	Playoff	Mark Wiebe	117,000
1987	Mark McCumber	United States	267	−17	1 stroke	Bobby Clampett	110,160
1986	Fuzzy Zoeller	United States	274	−10	2 strokes	Jodie Mudd	90,000
1985	Mark Wiebe	United States	273	−11	Playoff	John Mahaffey	90,000
1984	Ronnie Black	United States	267	−17	1 stroke	Willie Wood	63,000
1983	Calvin Peete (2)	United States	276	−8	1 stroke	Tim Norris	63,000
1982	Calvin Peete	United States	203	−10	2 strokes	Bruce Lietzke	63,000
1981	John Mahaffey	United States	276	−8	2 strokes	Andy North	54,000
The tournament moved from California to Virginia before the 1981 edition.
1980	Ben Crenshaw	United States	272	−16	4 strokes	Jack Renner	54,000
1979	John Fought	United States	273	−15	1 stroke	Buddy Gardner Alan Tapie Bobby Wadkins	54,000
1978	Tom Watson	United States	270	−18	3 strokes	Ed Sneed	40,000
1977	Miller Barber (2)	United States	272	−16	2 strokes	George Archer	40,000
Kaiser International Open Invitational
1976	J. C. Snead	United States	274	−14	2 strokes	Gibby Gilbert Johnny Miller	35,000
1975	Johnny Miller (2)	United States	272	−16	3 strokes	Rod Curl	35,000
1974	Johnny Miller	United States	271	−17	8 strokes	Billy Casper Lee Trevino	30,000
1973	Ed Sneed	United States	275	−13	Playoff	John Schlee	30,092
1972	George Knudson	Canada	271	−17	3 strokes	Hale Irwin Bobby Nichols	30,000
1971	Billy Casper	United States	269	−19	4 strokes	Fred Marti	30,000
1970	Ken Still	United States	278	−10	Playoff	Lee Trevino Bert Yancey	30,000
1969 (November)	Jack Nicklaus	United States	273	−15	Playoff	George Archer Billy Casper Don January	28,000
1969 (January)	Miller Barber	United States	135*	−9	1 stroke	Bruce Devlin	13,500
1968	Kermit Zarley	United States	273	−15	1 stroke	Dave Marr	25,000

*The January 1969 edition of the tournament was shortened to 36 holes, and the tournament was rescheduled for November.

Tournament highlights

• 1968: Kermit Zarley shot a final round 65 (–7) to win $25,000 at the inaugural event,[6] a stroke ahead of Dave Marr.[7]
• January 1969: For the first time ever, due to three days of steady rain a 72-hole PGA Tour tourney is called off after only 36 holes. Miller Barber was the winner by one shot over Bruce Devlin. The purse was also cut in half.[8]
• November 1969: The Kaiser International is decided in a four-way playoff. Jack Nicklaus sank a 12-foot (3.7 m) birdie putt on the second extra hole to defeat George Archer and Billy Casper. Don January was eliminated on the first playoff hole, as the others made birdies. Darkness then caused play to be called until Monday morning, which had a fog delay.[9]
• 1970: Ken Still makes a birdie on the first playoff hole to defeat Lee Trevino and Bert Yancey. Dave Hill misses the playoff by one shot after making a triple bogey on the 11th hole during the final round of play. Just before his disastrous hole, Hill and his playing partner Chi-Chi Rodríguez exchanged angry words which required an official to settle their clash.[10]
• 1974: Johnny Miller collects his 8th triumph of the year and wins by eight shots over Casper and Trevino.[11][12]
• 1975: Miller successfully defends his Kaiser title and finishes three shots ahead of Rod Curl.[13]
• 1976: J. C. Snead foils Miller's attempt to win three straight at Kaiser; Snead shoots a final round 68 to finish two shots ahead of Miller and Gibby Gilbert.[14]
• 1977: Miller Barber wins in Napa again, with a final round 65 to rally from six shots back and defeat George Archer by two shots.[15]
• 1979: John Fought birdies the 72nd hole to win by one shot over Alan Tapie, Bobby Wadkins, and Buddy Gardner. It was Fought's second straight win on the PGA Tour.[16]
• 1981: John Mahaffey wins the first edition in Virginia, two strokes ahead of Andy North.[17]
• 1983: Calvin Peete rallies from six shots back to successfully defend his Anheuser-Busch title, one shot in front of Tim Norris.[18] Hal Sutton squandered the large lead, but wins the PGA Championship two weeks later.
• 1984: Ronnie Black, seven shots behind when final round play began, shoots a 63 to win by one shot over Willie Wood.[19]
• 1986: Fuzzy Zoeller has a final round 64 to win by two shots over Jodie Mudd.[20]
• 1992: David Peoples bogeys the final two holes, but wins by one shot over Ed Dougherty, Jim Gallagher, and Bill Britton.[21]
• 1996: Scott Hoch sets the 72-hole scoring mark at 265 (–19), with a four-shot victory over Tom Purtzer in July.[22]
• 1997: David Duval, a future top-ranked player in the world and British Open champion, gains his first tour victory; he birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Grant Waite and Duffy Waldorf in mid-October.[23]
• 1998: Duval successfully defends his Michelob title, three shots ahead of Phil Tataurangi.[24]
• 1999: Tour rookie Notah Begay III notches his second victory in a playoff with Tom Byrum.[25][26]
• 2001: David Toms, winner of the PGA Championship, successfully defends his Michelob title, one shot ahead of Kirk Triplett.[27][28]
• 2002: Charles Howell III attains his first tour win and takes $666,000 at the final edition, two shots ahead of Brandt Jobe and Scott Hoch.[29][30]

References

1. "Golf: Michelob". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. October 7, 2002. p. D8.
2. "Barber nabs top spot in Kaiser Open". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. January 18, 1969. p. 19.
3. "Barber wins tourney". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. January 21, 1969. p. 6.
4. "Nick eyes top dollar". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. October 31, 1969. p. 26.
5. "Another for Jack". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. November 4, 1969. p. 31.
6. "Zarley cards torrid 65 for first pro golf crown". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 22, 1968. p. 10.
7. Sargis, Joe (January 22, 1968). "Kermit Zarley cashes in at Kaiser Open". Bryan Times. Ohio. UPI. p. 7.
8. "Kaiser golf tournament called off". Lodi News-Sentinel. California. UPI. January 21, 1969. p. 8.
9. "Jack Nicklaus takes Kaiser golf tourney". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. November 3, 1969. p. 18.
10. Green, Bob (October 26, 1970). "Ken Still collects Kaiser golf title". Portsmouth Times. (New Hampshire). Associated Press. p. 14.
11. "Miller wins Kaiser International". Ellensburg Daily Record. (Washington). UPI. September 30, 1974. p. 9.
12. "Johnny Miller astounds self with giant win". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. September 30, 1974. p. 12.
13. "Miller wins Kaiser Open". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. October 6, 1975. p. 5, part 2.
14. "J.C. Snead wins Kaiser". Montreal Gazette. UPI. September 27, 1976. p. 22.
15. "Barber's 65 overtakes Archer, ends drought". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. October 3, 1977. p. 5, part 2.
16. "Fought earns second big payday". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). Associated Press. September 24, 1979. p. 12.
17. "John Mahaffey wins Busch open classic". Bangor Daily News. (Maine). Associated Press. July 27, 1981. p. 21.
18. "Peete wins by stroke as Sutton collapses". Ottawa Citizen. (Canada). Associated Press. July 25, 1983. p. 33.
19. Black rallies for Anheuser-Busch title
20. "Fuzzy Zoeller wins Busch Classic by two". Gainesville Sun. (Florida). Associated Press. July 14, 1986. p. 3B.
21. "Peoples courts disaster; wins Busch Classic". The News. (Boca Raton, Florida). Associated Press. July 13, 1992. p. 2B.
22. "Hoch wins Michelob". Beaver County Times. (Pennsylvania). staff and wire reports. July 15, 1996. p. B8.
23. Kurz, Hank Jr. (October 13, 1997). "Duval wins playoff in Michelob". Daily Courier. (Prescott, Arizona). Associated Press. p. 14A.
24. "Duval runs away with Michelob". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). October 12, 1998. p. 27.
25. "Begay goes for it, wins Michelob". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). wire reports. October 11, 1999. p. 30.
26. Golf Roundup; Begay wins in a playoff
27. "Michelob win just what Toms needed". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. October 8, 2001. p. C2.
28. PLUS: GOLF; Toms Wins Michelob With a 3-Under 68
29. "Howell wins first in last tournament at Kingsmill". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. October 7, 2002. p. C8.
30. "Howell breaks through in final PGA event at Kingsmill". ESPN. Associated Press. October 6, 2002. Retrieved April 27, 2018.

External links

• Tournament results (1970-2002) at GolfObserver.com
• 2002 Tournament preview - at GolfToday.co.uk