Cajun Classic Open Invitational
Golf tournament formerly on the PGA Tour
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The Cajun Classic Open Invitational was a golf tournament in Louisiana on the PGA Tour in the late 1950s and 1960s, played at the Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette, usually in late November.[2] It debuted as the Lafayette Open Invitational in 1958,[3] and in many years was the last tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, which attracted players fighting for position on the money list.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lafayette, Louisiana |
| Established | 1958 |
| Course | Oakbourne Country Club |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,555 yards (5,994 m)[1] |
| Tour | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | US$25,000 |
| Month played | November |
| Final year | 1968 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 270 Doug Sanders (1961) 270 John Barnum (1962) 270 Ron Cerrudo (1968) |
| To par | −18 Ron Cerrudo (1968) |
| Final champion | |
 Ron Cerrudo | |
| Location map | |
  Oakbourne CC Location in the United States  Oakbourne CC Location in Louisiana | |
John Barnum, the only man in the history of the PGA Tour to earn his first win after age 50, won this event in 1962 at age 51.[4][5] Barnum was also the first player to win on Tour using a Ping putter.[6]
The 1963 tournament began on Thursday, November 21, but during the second round the following day, news of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy swept the course. Saturday's play was postponed in deference to the news, with the tournament finishing on Sunday with the final two rounds being played.
It lost the last tournament slot on the 1969 schedule and the resulting smaller field caused monetary problems that resulted in the tournament folding.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Purse (US$) | Winner's share ($) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cajun Classic Open Invitational | ||||||||
| 1968 | Ron Cerrudo | 270 | −18 | 4 strokes | Charlie Sifford | 35,000 | 5,000 | [1] |
| 1967 | Marty Fleckman | 275 | −13 | Playoff | Jack Montgomery | 35,000 | 5,000 | [7] |
| 1966 | Jacky Cupit | 271 | −17 | Playoff | Chi-Chi Rodríguez | 34,500 | 4,850 | [8] |
| 1965 | Babe Hiskey | 275 | −13 | Playoff | Dudley Wysong | 32,000 | 4,250 | [9] |
| 1964 | Miller Barber | 277 | −7 | 5 strokes | Gay Brewer Jack Nicklaus | 25,000 | 3,300 | [10] |
| 1963 | Rex Baxter | 275 | −13 | 2 strokes | Bob Shave Jr. | 20,000 | 2,800 | [11] |
| 1962 | John Barnum | 270 | −14 | 6 strokes | Gay Brewer | 17,500 | 2,400 | [4] |
| 1961 | Doug Sanders | 270 | −14 | 6 strokes | Ken Still | 15,000 | 2,000 | [12] |
| 1960 | Lionel Hebert | 272 | −12 | 2 strokes | Jon Gustin Johnny Pott | 15,000 | 2,000 | [13] |
| Lafayette Open Invitational | ||||||||
| 1959 | Billy Casper | 273 | −11 | 4 strokes | George Bayer | 15,000 | 2,000 | [14] |
| 1958 | Jay Hebert | 275 | −11 | 5 strokes | Leo Biagetti Bob Rosburg | 15,000 | 2,000 | [3] |