Buick Open

Template:Short description Template:Infobox golf tournament The Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship. Regardless, many prominent players used it as a "tune-up" for the subsequent major.

For the event's first decade, the Buick Open Invitational was played at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Michigan. After 1969, professional golf events in the area fell off the PGA Tour schedule and a series of pro-ams and other similarly unofficial events took place, mostly at Flint Golf Club in Flint, Michigan.

Flint native, and PGA touring professional Larry Mancour had returned to Michigan to play in the Buick Open and stayed to build the Grand Blanc Golf Club. He then added nine holes at the Flint Elks Golf Club where he remained the professional for 20 years. He rescued the Buick Open when General Motors dropped sponsorship of the tournament. With local Buick dealers Mancour started the Little Buick Open in 1969. It drew players and fans and led to the rebirth of the Buick Open in 1977.

The Buick Open officially made its return to the PGA Tour in 1977 at the Flint Elks Club, and in 1978 the event returned to Warwick Hills G&CC, where it remained until its demise.

The Associated Press reported July 28, 2009, that General Motors would end its sponsorship of the Buick Open after the 2009 tournament, in order to devote its marketing resources to cars and trucks. The PGA Tour replaced the tournament with the Greenbrier Classic at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

As in the 1970s, a series of pro-ams and other unofficial events now take place in Grand Blanc, with the AJGA's Randy Wise Open taking place at Warwick Hills and most pro-ams and a golf festival at the Jewel of Grand Blanc (the former Grand Blanc Golf Club).

In 2014, an unrelated tournament with the same name was started in China. The event is played on PGA Tour China.

In 2018, the former General Motors financing arm, now Ally Bank, returned to Warwick Hills to sponsor a PGA Tour Champions event, The Ally Challenge. Jim Furyk (2003, 2020) and Vijay Singh (2004, 2005, 2023) have won both events.

Long hitters

In its final years, the tournament was dominated by long hitters. Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Brian Bateman, and Kenny Perry combined for eight wins in its final nine years. Several other players ranked highly in driving distance finished second during that span, including Woods, Jason Gore, Geoff Ogilvy, Bubba Watson, and John Daly.

Winners

Year	TourTemplate:Efn	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Winner's share ($)
Buick Open
2009	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods (3)	268	−20	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Greg Chalmers Template:Flagicon John Senden Template:Flagicon Roland Thatcher	918,000
2008	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Kenny Perry (2)	269	−19	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Woody Austin Template:Flagicon Bubba Watson	900,000
2007	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Brian Bateman	273	−15	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Woody Austin Template:Flagicon Jason Gore Template:Flagicon Justin Leonard	882,000
2006	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods (2)	264	−24	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Jim Furyk	864,000
2005	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Vijay Singh (3)	264	−24	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Zach Johnson Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods	828,000
2004	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Vijay Singh (2)	265	−23	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon John Daly	810,000
2003	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Jim Furyk	267	−21	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Briny Baird Template:Flagicon Chris DiMarco Template:Flagicon Geoff Ogilvy Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods	720,000
2002	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods	271	−17	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Fred Funk Template:Flagicon Brian Gay Template:Flagicon Mark O'Meara Template:Flagicon Esteban Toledo	594,000
2001	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Kenny Perry	263	−25	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Chris DiMarco Template:Flagicon Jim Furyk	558,000
2000	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Rocco Mediate	268	−20	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Chris Perry	486,000
1999	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Tom Pernice Jr.	270	−18	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Tom Lehman Template:Flagicon Ted Tryba Template:Flagicon Bob Tway	432,000
1998	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Billy Mayfair	271	−17	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Scott Verplank	324,000
1997	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Vijay Singh	273	−15	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Tom Byrum Template:Flagicon Russ Cochran Template:Flagicon Ernie Els Template:Flagicon Brad Fabel Template:Flagicon Naomichi Ozaki Template:Flagicon Curtis Strange	270,000
1996	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Justin Leonard	266	−22	5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Chip Beck	216,000
1995	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Woody Austin	270	−18	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Mike Brisky	216,000
1994	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Fred Couples	270	−18	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Corey Pavin	198,000
1993	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Larry Mize	272	−16	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Fuzzy Zoeller	180,000
1992	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Dan Forsman	276	−12	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Steve Elkington Template:Flagicon Brad Faxon	180,000
1991	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Brad Faxon	271	−17	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Chip Beck	180,000
1990	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Chip Beck	272	−16	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Mike Donald Template:Flagicon Hale Irwin Template:Flagicon Fuzzy Zoeller	180,000
1989	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Leonard Thompson	273	−15	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Billy Andrade Template:Flagicon Payne Stewart Template:Flagicon Doug Tewell	180,000
1988	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Scott Verplank	268	−20	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Doug Tewell	126,000
1987	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Robert Wrenn	262	−26	7 strokes	Template:Flagicon Dan Pohl	108,000
1986	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Ben Crenshaw	270	−18	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon J. C. Snead Template:Flagicon Doug Tewell	90,000
1985	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Ken Green	268	−20	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Wayne Grady	81,000
1984	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Denis Watson	271	−17	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Payne Stewart	72,000
1983	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Wayne Levi	272	−16	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Isao Aoki Template:Flagicon Calvin Peete	63,000
1982	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Lanny Wadkins	273	−15	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Tom Kite	63,000
1981	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Hale Irwin	277	−11	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Bobby Clampett Template:Flagicon Peter Jacobsen Template:Flagicon Gil Morgan	63,000
Buick-Goodwrench Open
1980	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Peter Jacobsen	276	−12	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Billy Kratzert Template:Flagicon Mark Lye	45,000
1979	PGAT	Template:Flagicon John Fought	280	−8	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Jim Simons	27,000
1978	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Jack Newton	280	−8	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Mike Sullivan	20,000
Buick Open
1977	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Bobby Cole	271	−17	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Fred Marti	20,000
1976		Template:Flagicon Ed Sabo	279	−9	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Randy Erskine	12,000
1975		Template:Flagicon Spike Kelley	208	−8	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Randy Erskine Template:Flagicon Jim Marshall Template:Flagicon Mike McCullough	4,200
Flint Elks Open
1974		Template:Flagicon Bryan Abbott	136	−8	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Joe Porter	2,000
Lake Michigan Classic
1973		Template:Flagicon Wilf Homenuik	215	−1	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Jim Ferriell	3,200
Vern Parsell Buick Open
1972		Template:Flagicon Gary Groh	273	−15	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon John Mahaffey	4,000
Buick Open Invitational
1970–1971: No tournament
1969	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Dave Hill	277	−11	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Frank Beard	25,000
1968	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Tom Weiskopf	280	−8	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Mike Hill	25,000
1967	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Julius Boros (2)	283	−5	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Bob Goalby Template:Flagicon R. H. Sikes Template:Flagicon Bert Yancey	20,000
1966	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Phil Rodgers	284	−4	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Johnny Pott Template:Flagicon Kermit Zarley	20,000
1965	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Tony Lema (2)	280	−8	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Johnny Pott	20,000
1964	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Tony Lema	277	−11	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Dow Finsterwald	8,000
1963	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Julius Boros	274	−14	5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Dow Finsterwald	9,000
1962	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Bill Collins	284	−4	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Dave Ragan	9,000
1961	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Jack Burke Jr.	284	−4	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Billy Casper Template:Flagicon Johnny Pott	9,000
1960	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Mike Souchak	282	−6	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Gay Brewer Template:Flagicon Art Wall Jr.	9,000
1959	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Art Wall Jr.	282	−6	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Dow Finsterwald	9,000
1958	PGAT	Template:Flagicon Billy Casper	285	−3	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Ted Kroll Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer	9,000

External links

• Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site
• Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club