Hyundai Tournament of Champions - Tournament Highlights

Tournament Highlights

• 1953: Al Besselink wins the inaugural Tournament of Champions (TOC) by one shot over Chandler Harper.
• 1955: Gene Littler is victorious at the TOC for the first time. He wins by 13 shots over Pete Cooper, Jerry Barber, and Bob Toski.
• 1957: For the third consecutive year, Gene Littler is victorious at the TOC. He finishes three shots ahead of Billy Casper, Jimmy Demaret, Dow Finsterwald, and Billy Maxwell.
• 1959: Mike Souchak wins by two shots over Art Wall, Jr. in spite of his shooting a final round 77.
• 1960: Jerry Barber shoots 268, a TOC tournament mark for its time in Las Vegas. He beats Jay Hebert by four shots.
• 1962: Arnold Palmer earns his first TOC title. He birdies the 72nd hole to finish one shot ahead of Billy Casper.
• 1963: Jack Nicklaus wins the TOC for the first time. He finishes five shots ahead of Tony Lema and Arnold Palmer.
• 1966: Arnold Palmer successfully defends his TOC title by defeating Gay Brewer 69 to 73 in an 18 hole playoff. For Brewer, it's his second 18 hole playoff loss in a week. In the tournament prior to the TOC, The 1966 Masters Tournament, Brewer was defeated by Jack Nicklaus.
• 1967: Frank Beard prevents Arnold Palmer from winning a third straight TOC. He holes a seven-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to win by one shot over Palmer.
• 1969: Gary Player wins in the United States for the first time since his 1965 U.S. Open triumph. He finishes two shots ahead of Lee Trevino.
• 1972: Bobby Mitchell wins the TOC after he sinks a 20-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a sudden death playoff with Jack Nicklaus
• 1973: Jack Nicklaus wins the TOC for a fourth time. He beats Lee Trevino by one shot.
• 1977: Jack Nicklaus collects his fifth and final TOC title. He birdies the third hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Bruce Lietzke.
• 1978: Just like the week previous at Masters, Gary Player comes back from seven shots behind to win. He finishes two shots ahead of Andy North and Lee Trevino.
• 1979: Tom Watson wins by three shots over Jim Colbert. The original margin of victory was five shots but Watson was penalized two shots by tour officials after he was overheard giving advice to his playing partner Lee Trevino.
• 1981: Lee Trevino earns his first PGA Tour victory in California. He beats Raymond Floyd by two shots.
• 1982: Ron Streck comes to the 72nd hole tied with Lanny Wadkins but three putts to seemingly lose by one shot. After play is finished, Streck is assessed a two-shot penalty for moving a tree branch in his face on the 70th hole. The penalty drops Streck into a four-way tie for second along with Andy Bean, David Graham, and Craig Stadler and costs him over $14,000 in prize money.
• 1985: Tom Kite shoots a first round 64 on his way to a six shot triumph over Mark McCumber.
• 1986: Calvin Peete shoots a new tournament 72 hole scoring record, 267. He finishes six shots ahead of Mark O'Meara.
• 1991: Tom Kite wins the TOC for a second time when Lanny Wadkins three putts the 71st hole from just eighteen feet.
• 1995: Steve Elkington birdies the second hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Bruce Lietzke. During the tournament's final round, third round leader John Huston putted a ball into a lake.
• 1997: Tiger Woods, who would eventually go on to winning PGA Player of the Year for 1997, birdies the first hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Tom Lehman.
• 1999: David Duval wins the first edition of the tournament played in Hawaii. He finishes nine shots ahead of Mark O'Meara and Billy Mayfair.
• 2000: Tiger Woods wins his fifth consecutive PGA Tour event. He sinks a forty-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a sudden death playoff to beat Ernie Els.
• 2003: Ernie Els shoots a tournament record 261 on his way to an eight-shot victory over Rocco Mediate and K. J. Choi.
• 2006: Stuart Appleby defeats Vijay Singh on the first hole of a sudden death playoff. In doing so, Appleby joins Gene Littler as the only golfer to win the tournament three consecutive years.
• 2010: Geoff Ogilvy successfully defends his tournament title. He finishes one shot ahead of Rory Sabbatini.