Chicago Open

LaSalle Bank Chicago Open

Tournament information
Location	Chicago, Illinois
Established	1914
Course(s)	Gleneagles Country Club
Par	70
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$57,000
Month played	June
Final year	2001
Tournament record score
Aggregate	266 Bobby Locke (1948)
To par	−18 as above
Final champion
Don Berry
Location map
Gleneagles CC Location in the United States Show map of the United States Gleneagles CC Location in Illinois Show map of Illinois

The Chicago Open was a golf tournament played in the Chicago area. A Chicago District Open was first held in 1914. From 1926 to 1928 it became a national event. It was held again from 1937 to 1941, although there was no event in 1939. The Hale America National Open Golf Tournament was held in Chicago in 1942 and the Chicago Victory Open was played from 1943 to 1948. It was revived again as the Gleneagles-Chicago Open Invitational in 1958 and 1959.

History

The 1937 event was played at Medinah Country Club, Medinah, Illinois from July 23 to 25 and was won by Gene Sarazen with a score of 290.^[1] Two courses, numbers 1 and 2, were used for the opening two rounds with the final 36 holes played on the number 3 course.

The 1938 event was played at Olympia Fields Country Club, Olympia Fields, Illinois from July 22 to 24 and was won by Sam Snead with a score of 207, a stroke ahead of Ralph Guldahl.^[2] Two courses, numbers 1 and 4, were used for the opening two rounds. Heavy rain affected play on the opening day and the scores were canceled, reducing the event to 54 holes with a cut after 18 holes. The final 36 holes were played on the number 4 course.

The 1940 event was played at Tam O'Shanter Country Club, Niles, Illinois from July 19 to 21 and was won by Dick Metz with a score of 278.^[3] Amateur Jim Ferrier led after the first round with a 66, while Johnny Revolta led after two rounds on 136. Revolta had round 74 and 69 on the final day while Metz scored 69 and 70. Ben Hogan had a final round 66 to tie Revolta for second place.

The 1941 events was played at Elmhurst Country Club, Addison, Illinois from July 18 to 20. Ben Hogan led by three strokes form Dick Metz at the half-way stage after rounds of 66 and 70. Hogan scored two rounds of 69 on the final day and won by two strokes from Craig Wood, who had two rounds of 67. Metz finished in third place.^[4]

The event was revived as Gleneagles-Chicago Open Invitational after the World Championship of Golf was canceled. It was played at Gleneagles Country Club in Lemont, Illinois in 1958 and 1959. The top prize money was $9,000. Ken Venturi won both events.^[5]

Winners

Year	Tour[a]	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Winner's share ($)	Ref.
LaSalle Bank Chicago Open
2001		Don Berry
2000		Luke Donald (a)	205	−8	6 strokes
1999		Bob Ackerman
1998		Scott Hebert
1960–1997: No tournament
Gleneagles-Chicago Open Invitational
1959	PGAT	Ken Venturi (2)	273	−7	1 stroke	Johnny Pott	9,000	[6]
1958	PGAT	Ken Venturi	272	−8	1 stroke	Julius Boros Jack Burke Jr.	9,000	[7]
1949–1957: No tournament
Chicago Victory National Open
1948	PGAT	Bobby Locke	266	−18	16 strokes	Ellsworth Vines	2,000	[8]
1947	PGAT	Ben Hogan (2)	270	−14	4 strokes	Sam Snead	2,000	[9]
1946	PGAT	Byron Nelson (2)	279	−5	2 strokes	Jug McSpaden	2,000	[10]
1945	PGAT	Byron Nelson	275	−13	7 strokes	Ky Laffoon Jug McSpaden	2,000	[11]
1944	PGAT	Jug McSpaden	273	−11	Playoff	Ben Hogan	3,000	[12][13]
1943	PGAT	Sam Byrd	277	−7	5 strokes	Craig Wood	1,000	[14]
1942: No tournament
Chicago Open
1941	PGAT	Ben Hogan	274	−10	2 strokes	Craig Wood	1,200	[4]
1940	PGAT	Dick Metz	278	−10	1 stroke	Ben Hogan Johnny Revolta	1,500	[3]
1939: No tournament
1938	PGAT	Sam Snead	207	−3	1 stroke	Ralph Guldahl	1,500	[2]
1937	PGAT	Gene Sarazen	290	+7	1 stroke	Harry Cooper Ky Laffoon Horton Smith	3,000	[1]
1929–1936: No tournament
Chicago Open Championship
1928	PGAT	Abe Espinosa	283	−5	1 stroke	Frank Walsh	500	[15]
1927	PGAT	Johnny Farrell	285	+1	2 strokes	Al Espinosa	1,000	[16]
1926	PGAT	Macdonald Smith	277	−3	1 stroke	Eddie Loos	1,000	[17]

A Chicago District Open Championship was held in some years between 1914 and 1925. Winners include:

• 1925 Al Espinosa^[18]
• 1915 unknown
• 1914 Robert Gardner (a)^[19]

Notes

1. PGAT − PGA Tour.

References

1. "Gene Sarazen Winner in Chicago Open Golf". The Montreal Gazette. July 26, 1937. p. 16.
2. "Sam Snead is Victor At Chicago With 207". The Montreal Gazette. July 25, 1938. p. 13.
3. "Dick Metz Wins Chicago's Open". The Spokesman Review. July 22, 1940. p. 9.
4. "Hogan Beats Wood For Chicago Open". The Montreal Gazette. July 21, 1941. p. 13.
5. "Gleneagles Country Club history". Archived from the original on 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
6. "Venturi's 66 claims Open". The Spokesman Review. June 29, 1959. p. 10.
7. "Venturi Captures Open With Blade". The Spokesman Review. August 5, 1958. p. 15.
8. "Sub-Par Golf Wins for Locke". The Spokesman Review. June 21, 1948. p. 8.
9. "14-Under Par Wins For Hogan". The Spokesman Review. June 30, 1947. p. 9.
10. "By Nelson Rockets to Win Victory Golf; Mangrum Blows". The Spokesman Review. July 22, 1946. p. 7.
11. "Lord Byron Wins War Bond Swag". The Spokesman Review. July 2, 1945. p. 3.
12. "McSpaden Shoots Way Into Sensational Tie". The Spokesman Review. July 3, 1944. p. 3.
13. "Jug McSpaden Beats Ben Hogan in Play-off". The Spokesman Review. July 4, 1944. p. 9.
14. "Byrd Wins Victory Golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 22, 1943. p. 16.
15. "Wins Golf Title on Last Green". The Spokesman Review. August 2, 1928. p. 17.
16. "Farrell Wins Another Title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 15, 1927. p. 17.
17. "Macdonald Smith Wins Chicago Open With 277". Star Tribune. September 2, 1926. p. 18.
18. "Espinosa Golf Winner". Herald & Review. September 19, 1925. p. 13.
19. "Chicago Open is revived again, this time at Cantigny – Len Ziehm on Golf". October 2013.