Charlotte Open Tournament on the PGA Tour

The Charlotte Open was a professional golf tournament played in North Carolina for a few years in the 1940s. Part of the PGA Tour circuit of the time, it was born in the war years and its history includes a couple significant events.

First played: 1944

Last played: 1948

Although played only five times, the Charlotte Open's roster of champions is impressive. Of the five winners, only the first, Dutch Harrison, was not a major championship winner — but he was an 18-time PGA Tour winner.

Winners of the Charlotte Open

1944 — Dutch Harrison, 275
1945 — Byron Nelson, 272 (def. Sam Snead in playoff)
1946 — Bob Hamilton, 273
1947 — Cary Middlecoff, 277 (def. George Schoux in playoff)
1948 — Chick Harbert, 273

In 1943, during World War II, only three tournaments were played on the PGA Tour. The tour had a resurgence in 1944, and the Charlotte Open was part of that, taking place for the first time.

The biggest thing that happened in the tournament's brief history was Byron Nelson's 1945 victory. Nelson defeated Sam Snead in a 36-hole playoff. The two legends tied at 272 (the tournament scoring record), then matched 69s in what was supposed to be an 18-hole playoff. Still tied, they returned the next day and played a second 18-hole playoff. Nelson scored 69 to Snead's 73 to win the trophy.

It was win No. 2 in Nelson's legendary streak of 11 consecutive victories on tour. And it was the fifth of Nelson's incredible 18 PGA Tour wins in 1945. Snead finished second again in the 1946 Charlotte Open behind winner Bob Hamilton, the 1944 PGA Championship victor.

Cary Middlecoff's victory in 1947 was just the second of his 39 career wins on the PGA Tour.

Golf course: All five years, the tournament took place at Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sources:
Lodi News-Sentinel. "Bob Hamilton in Charlotte Open win," April 1, 1946, https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZwtFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=46MMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3815%2C1868054
Myers Park Country Club. "History," https://www.myersparkcc.com/about-mpcc/history
PGATour.com. "Byron Nelson," Results, 1945, https://www.pgatour.com/player/01863/byron-nelson
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Nelson defeats Snead by 4 strokes," March 22, 1945, https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AZJRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_mkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4595%2C1163545
Rubenstein, Lorne, and Neuman, Jeff. A Disorderly Compendium of Golf*, 2006, Workman Publishing
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