Rio Grande Valley Open
The Rio Grande Valley Open was a
On February 27, 1949, Cary Middlecoff won the event. Jack Burke Jr. won on February 19 of the following year.[1] It was Burke's first PGA Tour victory, which he calls his "best memory" in golf.[2]
The 1948 event, which played as the Lower Rio Grande Open, was won by Lloyd Mangrum in an 18-hole playoff over Jimmy Demaret. Mangrum scored 65 to Demaret's 69 and received the $2,000 winners share out of a total of $10,000 in prize money.[3]
The events were held at the Harlingen Municipal Golf Course in Harlingen, Texas, a 6,320-yard, par-71 course opened in 1929. Today the site of the tournament is known as the "eighteen" course at the Tony Butler Municipal Golf Course.[4] On June 20, 1973, the City of Harlingen renamed the course in honor of Butler for his more than 40 years of service as head professional.[5]
Winners
| Year | Player | Country | Score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up | Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande Valley Open | |||||||
| 1950 | Jack Burke Jr. |  United States |
264 | −20 | 2 strokes |  Skip Alexander |
2,000 |
| 1949 | Cary Middlecoff | United States |
267 | −17 | 2 strokes | Bob Hamilton |
2,000 |
| Lower Rio Grande Open | |||||||
| 1948 | Lloyd Mangrum | United States |
269 | −15 | Playoff | Jimmy Demaret |
2,000 |
References
- ^ "100 Years of Service" (PDF). The McAllen Monitor. McAllen, Texas. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
- ^ Hauser, Melanie. "A Champion of Golf" (PDF). The Memorial Tournament magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
- ^ "Rio Grande Golf Playoff Won By Mangrum". Toledo Blade. February 17, 1948. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
- ^ "Tony Butler Municipal Golf Course". Retrieved 2010-04-09.
- ^ "Golf history". City of Harlingen Texas. Retrieved 2010-04-09.