Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic

Tournament information
Location	Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Established	1971
Course(s)	Walt Disney World Resort (Magnolia & Palm courses)
Par	72 (both courses)
Length	7,516 yards (Magnolia) 6,957 yards (Palm)
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	$4,700,000
Month played	October
Tournament record score
Aggregate	262 John Huston (1992) 262 Duffy Waldorf (2000)
To par	-26 John Huston (1992) -26 Duffy Waldorf (2000) These records only apply to when the tournament has been played as a regular event, not a team event.
Current champion
Luke Donald

The Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The tournament is played on the Palm and Magnolia courses at the Walt Disney World Resort. Starting in 2007, it was the final event in the PGA Tour Fall Series, and also the final official event of the PGA Tour season. The tournament is one of the players' favorites because of its proximity to Orlando, Florida; many players maintain homes in Florida, and whether or not they live in Florida, they can easily take their families to the parks while not playing. For a number of golfers, it is a final chance to earn or retain a Tour Card through winning or getting into the Top 125 on the Tour's money list.

The 2009 purse was $4,700,000, with $846,000 going to the winner. The tournament was founded in 1971 as the Walt Disney World Open Invitational. From 1974 to 1981, the tournament was played as a two-man team event with a better-ball format. After 36 years of having "Disney" in the tournament name, a new sponsor was announced in 2007, the Children's Miracle Network.^[1]

2005 FUNAI Classic

The 2005 FUNAI Classic was won by tour rookie Lucas Glover after he "holed" out a shot from a green-side bunker on Sunday. Prior to the bunker shot, Glover made a 40 foot putt on the 17th green. Tom Pernice, Jr. would miss his birdie putt which could have forced a play-off with Glover giver Glover his first tour win in dramatic fashion. Glover's victory was the third first-time winner on the PGA Tour in four years at the Disney Classic. Other drama continued on Sunday at Disney World as 2006 U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy fell apart on the back nine to lose his share of the lead as Glover holed his bunker shot getting an unlucky bounce off of a rock on the 18th green. Ogilvy told reporters after the round about seeing Glover's shot, "I knew I was tied when I made the putt," Ogilvy said. "And I knew I was one behind before I hit my next tee shot."^[2] The final rounds had been stripped of much potential press coverage due to the early departure of Tiger Woods, his second missed cut of the season, both coming within ten events.

2006 FUNAI Classic

The 2006 FUNAI Classic at WDW featured great media attention leading up to the event, as the decision of Tiger Woods to play or not play would determine whether or not he would be eligible for the Vardon Trophy. Woods needed a total of 60 official PGA Tour rounds to be eligible to win the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average, but chose not to play thus forfeiting his chance at winning the award. Despite no longer being eligible for the Vardon Trophy, Woods still won the Byron Nelson Award for lowest scoring average, which requires a total of 50 or more rounds. The 2006 event featured a purse of $4.6 million dollars with $828,000 going to the winner.^[3]

Courses

The Magnolia Course at Walt Disney World is known as more "tour"-style then its sister the Palm Course. The Palm course is undeniably the prettier of the two, however. In the 2006 telecast, one commentator is quoted as saying that the Palm course has the better greens of the two courses. The Magnolia has grown to 7,516 yards to battle the usual low scores during the tournament's history.

The nearby Lake Buena Vista golf course has also been part of the tournament, along with the Palm and Magnolia.

Winners

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic

• 2011 Luke Donald -  England

Children's Miracle Network Classic

• 2010 Robert Garrigus -  United States

Children's Miracle Network Classic presented by Wal-Mart

• 2009 Stephen Ames -  Trinidad and Tobago /  Canada
• 2008 Davis Love III -  United States
• 2007 Stephen Ames -  Trinidad and Tobago /  Canada

FUNAI Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort

• 2006 Joe Durant -  United States
• 2005 Lucas Glover -  United States
• 2004 Ryan Palmer -  United States
• 2003 Vijay Singh -  Fiji

Disney Golf Classic

• 2002 Bob Burns -  United States

National Car Rental Golf Classic Disney

• 2001 José Cóceres -  Argentina
• 2000 Duffy Waldorf -  United States
• 1999 Tiger Woods -  United States
• 1998 John Huston -  United States

Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic

• 1997 David Duval -  United States
• 1996 Tiger Woods -  United States
• 1995 Brad Bryant -  United States
• 1994 Rick Fehr -  United States
• 1993 Jeff Maggert -  United States
• 1992 John Huston -  United States
• 1991 Mark O'Meara -  United States
• 1990 Tim Simpson -  United States
• 1989 Tim Simpson -  United States
• 1988 Bob Lohr -  United States
• 1987 Larry Nelson -  United States
• 1986 Raymond Floyd -  United States
• 1985 Lanny Wadkins -  United States

Walt Disney World Golf Classic

• 1984 Larry Nelson -  United States
• 1983 Payne Stewart -  United States
• 1982 Hal Sutton -  United States

Walt Disney World National Team Championship

• 1981 Vance Heafner and Mike Holland - both  United States
• 1980 Danny Edwards and David Edwards - both  United States
• 1979 George Burns and Ben Crenshaw - both  United States
• 1978 Wayne Levi and Bob Mann - both  United States
• 1977 Gibby Gilbert and Grier Jones - both  United States
• 1976 Woody Blackburn and Billy Kratzert - both  United States
• 1975 Jim Colbert and Dean Refram - both  United States
• 1974 Hubert Green and Mac McLendon - both  United States

Walt Disney World Golf Classic

• 1973 Jack Nicklaus -  United States

Walt Disney World Open Invitational

• 1972 Jack Nicklaus -  United States
• 1971 Jack Nicklaus -  United States

References

1. ^ TOUR's final stop renamed Children's Miracle Network Classic
2. ^ 2005 FUNAI Classic Review
3. ^ PGA Tour 2006 FUNAI Classic Preview

External links

• Official site
• PGATOUR.com Tournament website
• Children's Miracle Network website