Mercedes-Benz Championship (PGA Tour)

Infobox_Golf_Tournament
tournament_name = Mercedes-Benz Championship
nickname =


location = Kapalua, Hawaii
establishment = 1953
course = Plantation Course
par = 73
yardage = 7,411
tour = PGA Tour
format = Stroke play
purse = $5,500,000
month_played = January
aggregate = 261 Ernie Els (2003)
to-par = -31* Ernie Els (2003)
* PGA Tour record
Current Champion = Daniel Chopra"For the identically named event on the European Tour see Mercedes-Benz Championship (European Tour)."

The Mercedes-Benz Championship is the opening event of golf's PGA Tour season. The field is restricted to golfers who won an event on the Tour in the previous season. It is played the first weekend in January, and has been at Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course in Lahaina, Hawaii, since 1999. The event was played in Las Vegas, Nevada from the event's inception in 1953 until 1968, first at The Desert Inn Golf & Country Club until 1966, and then at Stardust Country Club. After that, it began a 30-year relationship with La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California, which lasted until the event was moved to its current location in Hawaii.

Winners

"Note: Green highlight indicates scoring record."

Mercedes-Benz ChampionshipMONY Tournament of Champions

Multiple winners

Thirteen men have won the Mercedes-Benz Championship more than once through 2007.

*5 wins
**Jack Nicklaus: 1963, 1964, 1971, 1973, 1977

*3 wins
**Stuart Appleby: 2004, 2005, 2006
**Gene Littler: 1955, 1956, 1957
**Arnold Palmer: 1962, 1965, 1966
**Tom Watson: 1979, 1980, 1984

*2 wins
**Frank Beard: 1967, 1970
**Steve Elkington: 1992, 1995
**Don January: 1968, 1976
**Tom Kite: 1985, 1991
**Phil Mickelson: 1994, 1998
**Gary Player: 1969, 1978
**Lanny Wadkins: 1982, 1983
**Tiger Woods: 1997, 2000

External links

* [http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r016 Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site]
* [http://66.128.148.121/cgi.pan$winners&Mercedes-Benz_Championship&&pga?golfstats Mercedes-Benz Championship results since 1970 - Winners, Finishers, Scores and Earnings]