Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
First played: 1991
Last played: 1995
The Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship came into being at a time on the world golf scene when it was still fairly common for top golfers to rarely play outside of their home tour. The "world championship" monicker made clear the aspirations of this event to bring together all of the best players from around the world — the organizers even spoke of it becoming the fifth major of men's golf.
They put their money behind that idea, too. When the tournament debuted in 1991, its purse was $2.55 million, which caused the New York Times to describe the event as "the richest golf tournament ever held."
It wasn't to be, of course, but in the five years the Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship existed, it produced five tournaments each won by a major champion.
Fred Couples won both the first and last versions of the tournament. Nick Faldo beat Greg Norman on the first sudden-death hole in a playoff in another, and Couples won a playoff against Vijay Singh and Loren Roberts on the second extra hole. Larry Mize, on the other hand, produced a 10-stroke victory over runner-up Couples. Faldo also finished runner-up another year (in 1994).
Spirits brand Johnnie Walker has sponsored many golf tournaments over the years, and this one should not be confused with, among others, the Johnnie Walker Classic or the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
Winners of the Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
1991 — Fred Couples, 2811992 — Nick Faldo, 274 (defeated Greg Norman in playoff)
1993 — Larry Mize, 266
1994 — Ernie Els, 268
1995 — Fred Couples, 279 (defeated Vijay Singh, Loren Roberts in playoff)
Golf course: The site in Jamaica was the same all five years — Tryall Golf Club, a par-71 layout that measured under 6,800 yards at the time of the Johnnie Walker.
