Looking Back: Fort Wayne Open on PGA Tour

The Fort Wayne Open was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It was played in Fort Wayne, Indiana, seven times during the 1950s.

First played: 1950

Last played: 1956

Also known as: One of the seven years it was played the tournament was titled "Fort Wayne Invitational" rather than Fort Wayne Open.

Winners of the PGA Tour Fort Wayne Open

1950 — Lloyd Mangrum, 271
1951 — Jim Ferrier, 269
1952 — Jimmy Clark, 272 (def. Jim Turnesa in playoff)
1953 — Art Wall Jr., 265 (def. Cary Middlecoff in playoff)
1954 — Doug Ford, 270
1955 — Dow Finsterwald, 269
1956 — Art Wall Jr., 269 (def. Gardner Dicksonson, Bill Trombley in playoff)

Art Wall Jr. was the only multipe champion in the Fort Wayne Open, winning in 1953 and 1956. The 1953 victory was the first of Wall's 14 career wins on the PGA Tour. He earned it by beating Cary Middlecoff in a 72-hole playoff, 70 to 72. Wall's second win here was also via playoff — he beat Gardner Dickinson and Bill Trombley in 1956. The second time the playoff was sudden death, and Wall birdied the first hole to win the title again.

Middlecoff was also the runner-up in 1951. Doug Ford came close to repeating as champ, but after winning in 1954 he was second by one stroke to Dow Finsterwald in 1955. That was Finsterwald's first career win (out of an eventual 11) on the PGA Tour.

There was one other 18-hole playoff in this tournament's history: In 1952, Jimmy Clark beat Jim Turnesa, 69 to 70. Clark won only twice on the PGA Tour, both times in 1952, and both times Turnesa was the runner-up.

(Note that the LPGA Tour and Ben Hogan Tour also had tournaments named Fort Wayne Open at one time.)

Golf course: The first year, the tournament took place at Orchard Ridge Country Club in Fort Wayne. The remaining six years, the golf course was the Fort Wayne Elks Lodge No. 155 golf course (today a part of Coyote Creek Golf Club) in Fort Wayne.

Sources:
Associated Press. "Clark Wins Golf Crown," Youngstown Vindicator, August 26, 1952.
Associated Press. "Ft. Wayne Golf Won for 2d Time by Art Wall," The Buffalo News, September 17, 1956.
Universal Press. "Wall Stops Middlecoff at Ft. Wayne," The Enid Daily Eagle, August 18, 1953.