As we wave goodbye to the World Golf Championships era – which wrapped up with the Match Play in Austin, Texas, last week and will be replaced by the PGA Tour’s new premium series of “designated” events – now is as good of a time as any to revisit a couple of anecdotes from the birth of the WGC.
Despite any revisionist protestations to the contrary, the WGCs came about as a result of Greg Norman’s ill-fated world tour. Norman, with the help of a couple of financial backers, proposed a series of high-dollar, no-cut events for the best players in the game from all over the world, something that seems passé now but was revolutionary at the time. This was back when Europeans, Asians, Africans and blokes like Norman from Australia had to spend big bikkies to play in events such as the B.C. Open and Buick Classic. Norman’s tour would have ensured a payday for everyone and given fans more chances to see the game’s best head-to-head.
Alas, the Shark’s venture never got off the ground. Arnold Palmer balked and took top guys with him. Also, the PGA Tour proposed an alternative – four high-dollar, no-cut WGC events pitting the top players from all tours. If that sounds like a rip-off, Norman would like to buy you a drink.
... because it was nifty, popular and successful, the tour stole it. In 1999, the Sarazen World Open became the WGC American Express Championship.
But Norman wasn’t the only hall-of-famer to be swept away in the WGC tsunami. Gene Sarazen also got drenched.
From 1994 through 1998, Sarazen, who was in his 90s but spry as ever, hosted an unofficial fall event called the Sarazen World Open. Held north of Atlanta at Chateau Elan, the event had an invitation list that included winners of opens from around the world. Jack Nicklaus made an appearance (the U.S. Senior Open counted). So did Mark Calcaveccia (Argentine Open), Jim Furyk (also the Argentine Open) and Craig Stadler (Argentina again). Ernie Els won Sarazen’s inaugural event in 1994, the same year he won the U.S. Open, beating Colin Montgomerie (Spanish Open, English Open and German Open) among others.
Frank Nobilo (Open Mediterrania) won it twice, and the 1998 edition, the last one held in Georgia, was won by Canadian Open champion Dudley Hart. It was a cool concept that attracted a large international field. Long before Americans knew anything about players such as Paul Broadhurst, Eduardo Romero and Miguel Ángel Martín, they drove up I-85 to Braselton, Georgia, and shook hands with Mr. Sarazen on their way to the first tee.
So, of course, because it was nifty, popular and successful, the tour stole it. In 1999, the Sarazen World Open became the WGC American Express Championship.
Sarazen was unamused. In an impromptu press conference outside the Furman Bisher Media Center at Chateau Elan, the then 96-year-old said: “I don’t know why they have to take it. We built this thing, and it’s done pretty well. I don’t know why I can’t have October. Jones has April.”
It took a couple of seconds to realize that he meant Bobby Jones, despite the Augusta National Golf Club co-founder having been dead for more than a quarter century, having April at the Masters.
With the help of the European Tour, the Sarazen World Open gave it one last go in Spain in 1999. Thomas Bjørn won. But the man who was born as Eugenio Saraceni wasn’t there. He died seven months after being co-opted by the tour.
You have to wonder whether Sarazen looked down at the WGC swansong last week in Austin, curled his lips in that famous, impish Italian smile, and said, “Good riddance.”
Steve Eubanks
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Top photo: Gene Sarazen Cup
Stan Badz, PGA Tour