Thunderbird Invitational

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title: "Thunderbird Invitational" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["former-pga-tour-events", "golf-tournaments-in-california"] description: "Golf tournament" topic_path: "general/former-pga-tour-events" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbird_Invitational" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Golf tournament ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox golf tournament"]

Field	Value
name	Thunderbird Invitational
location	Rancho Mirage, California
establishment	1953
course	Thunderbird Country Club
par	71
yardage	6680 yd
tour	PGA Tour
format	Stroke play
purse
month_played	January
final_year	1959
aggregate	266 Arnold Palmer (1959)
to-par	−20 Fred Haas (1954)
final_champion	USA Arnold Palmer
map	USA#USA California
map_relief	yes
map_label	Thunderbird CC
map_caption	Location in the United States##Location in California
coordinates
::

| name = Thunderbird Invitational | image = | location = Rancho Mirage, California | establishment = 1953 | course = Thunderbird Country Club | par = 71 | yardage = 6680 yd | tour = PGA Tour | format = Stroke play | purse = | month_played = January | final_year = 1959 | aggregate = 266 Arnold Palmer (1959) | to-par = −20 Fred Haas (1954) | current_champion = | final_champion = USA Arnold Palmer | map = USA#USA California | map_relief = yes | map_label = Thunderbird CC | map_caption = Location in the United States##Location in California | coordinates = 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 the Desert Classic, which began in 1960. Thunderbird hosted the Ryder Cup in 1955.

Arnold Palmer, 29, was the event's final champion in 1959;

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.

The 1952 event was a 36 hole pro-am, played midweek. Dutch Harrison won the best-ball while Jim Ferrier and Cary Middlecoff had the best professional scores.

Winners

::data[format=table] | Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) | Ref. | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1959 | USA Arnold Palmer | 266 | −18 | 3 strokes | USA Jimmy Demaret USA Ken Venturi | 1,500 | | | 1958 | USA Ken Venturi | 269 | −15 | 4 strokes | USA Jimmy Demaret USA Gene Littler | 1,500 | | | 1957 | USA Jimmy Demaret (3) | 273 | −11 | Playoff | USA Mike Souchak USA Ken Venturi | 2,000 | | | 1956 | USA Jimmy Demaret (2) | 269 | −15 | 1 stroke | USA Cary Middlecoff | 2,000 | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_BBWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ceIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6879%2C4512629 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=Thunderbird tourney won by Demaret |date=January 30, 1956 |page=3B}} | | 1955 | USA Shelley Mayfield | 270 | −18 | Playoff | USA Fred Haas USA Mike Souchak | 2,000 | url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1955/02/01/page/42/article/mayfield-wins-golf-playoff-on-extra-hole |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |agency=Associated Press |title=Mayfield wins golf playoff on extra hole |date=February 1, 1955 |page=2, sec. 3 }} | | 1954 | USA Fred Haas | 268 | −20 | 2 strokes | USA Marty Furgol USA Chandler Harper USA Bo Wininger | 2,000 | | | 1953 | USA Jimmy Demaret | 201 | −15 | 2 strokes | USA Ben Hogan USA Lloyd Mangrum USA Jim Turnesa | 1,500 | | ::

Playoffs

In 1953 it was over 54 holes, midweek. In 1955 Mayfield won with a birdie on second extra hole after 18-hole playoff. Mayfield and Souchak scored 69, Haas 70. In 1957 Demaret won after an 18-hole playoff, scoring 67, Souchak scored 75 and Venturi 76.

References

References

1. (January 26, 1959). "Palmer wins Thunderbird on 62 for 266". Chicago Daily Tribune.
2. Spicer, Judd. (December 28, 2010). "Before the Hope".
3. (February 1, 1954). "Fred Haas wins". Eugene Register-Guard.
4. (January 26, 1959). "Palmer victor in Thunderbird". Eugene Register-Guard.
5. (November 7, 1955). "Ryder Cup kept by U.S.; Briton tops Middlecoff". Spokesman-Review.
6. (November 7, 1955). "U.S. retains Ryder Cup golf trophy by 8-4". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
7. (February 8, 1960). "Palmer wins title". Eugene Register-Guard.
8. (January 27, 1958). "Ken Venturi 'Bird winner". Eugene Register-Guard.
9. (February 3, 1958). "Venturi, finishes strong, takes Phoenix golf crown". Eugene Register-Guard.
10. (January 22, 1953). "Demaret wins at Thunderbird". Eugene Register-Guard.
11. (January 22, 1953). "Prize goes to Demaret". Ellensburg Daily Record.
12. (January 28, 1957). "Souchak holes 40-foot putt for Thunderbird triple tie". Spokesman-Review.
13. (January 29, 1957). "Demaret wins golf playoff". Eugene Register-Guard.
14. (January 22, 1952). "Ferrier leading at Palm Springs". Ellensburg Daily Record.
15. (January 23, 1952). "Harrison takes top money in California golf". Chicago Daily Tribune.
16. (January 30, 1956). "Thunderbird tourney won by Demaret". Eugene Register-Guard.
17. (February 1, 1955). "Mayfield wins golf playoff on extra hole". Chicago Daily Tribune.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::