Thunderbird Invitational
| Location |
Rancho Mirage, California, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Established | 1952, 1954 (72-hole) |
| Course(s) | Thunderbird Country Club |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,680 yards (6,108 m) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play - 72 holes |
| Prize fund | $15,000 |
| Month played | January |
| Final year | 1959 |
 Arnold Palmer
|
|
The Thunderbird Invitational was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played from 1952 to 1959 in Rancho Mirage, California. Held in late January at Thunderbird Country Club, the tournament's purse was a modest $15,000; it was the direct predecessor of today's CareerBuilder Challenge, which began in 1960. Thunderbird hosted the Ryder Cup in 1955.
Arnold Palmer, 29, was the event's final champion in 1959; he won the next year at the first edition of the "Palm Springs Desert Classic," which had a $100,000 purse and a winner's share of 12,000, his largest tour check to date.
Ken Venturi, 26, won the 1958 event and was awarded a $1,500 check and a $4,500 automobile. He backed it up with another win the following week at Phoenix.
Jimmy Demaret won the event three times; his first was a 54-hole midweek event in 1953, and the last was an 18-hole playoff on Monday in 1957 for consecutive titles.
Coordinates: 33°45′22″N 116°25′48″W / 33.756°N 116.43°W
...
Wikipedia