IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic Tournament (PGA Tour)
First played: 1963
Last played: 1980
The first three IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classics were split between Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, with Palmer winning the inaugural tournament and Nicklaus the next two. Going for three in a row in 1966, Nicklaus was runner-up. He did eventually win a third time in 1978, the only golfer to win this tournament at least three times.
Tom Kite's first PGA Tour victory happened here in the 1976 tourney, when he won a playoff over Terry Diehl. In the 1979 tournament, Sam Trahan played the fourth round taking only 18 putts, the first golfer in PGA Tour history to play a round in that low number.
The tournament scoring record of 270 was set by Nicklaus in 1978. The largest margin of victory was four strokes, recorded by Tom Weiskopf in 1973, Hubert Green in 1974 and Jerry McGee in 1977.
Also known as: Through its history this tournament was also known as the IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic, IVB-Bicentennial Golf Classic, Philadelphia Golf Classic and Whitemarsh Open Invitational.
Winners of the IVB-Golf Classic
1963 — Arnold Palmer, 2811964 — Jack Nicklaus, 276
1965 — Jack Nicklaus, 277
1966 — Don January, 278
1967 — Dan Sikes, 276
1968 — Bob Murphy, 276 (def. Labron Harris Jr. in playoff)
1969 — Dave Hill, 279 (def. Gay Brewer, Tommy Jacobs, R.H. Sikes in playoff)
1970 — Billy Casper, 274
1971 — Tom Weiskopf, 274
1972 — J.C. Snead, 282
1973 — Tom Weiskopf, 274
1974 — Hubert Green, 271
1975 — Tom Jenkins, 275
1976 — Tom Kite, 277 (def. Terry Diehl in playoff)
1977 — Jerry McGee, 272
1978 — Jack Nicklaus, 270
1979 — Lou Graham, 273 (def. Bobby Wadkins)
1980 — Doug Tewell, 272
Golf Courses: The tournament was played throughout its history at one course — Whitemarsh Valley Country Club in Lafayette Hill, Penn., a Philadelphia suburb.
