Venezuela Open

Golf tournament From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Venezuela Open or Abierto de Venezuela is a men's professional golf tournament. It has only been staged intermittently since 1957, 2019 being the 35th edition of the event. Al Geiberger, Art Wall Jr., David Graham, Roberto De Vicenzo and Tony Jacklin are past champions.

LocationCaracas, Venezuela

Established1957

CourseValle Arriba Golf Club

Par70

Quick facts Tournament information, Location ...

Venezuela Open
Tournament information
Location	Caracas, Venezuela
Established	1957
Course	Valle Arriba Golf Club
Par	70
Tour(s)	PGA Tour Tour de las Américas PGA Tour Latinoamérica Developmental Series Caribbean Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$50,000
Month played	April
Tournament record score
Aggregate	263 Roberto De Vicenzo (1973)
To par	−18 Iván Camilo Ramírez (2021)
Current champion
Jorge Pichu García
Location map
Guataparo CC Location in Venezuela

Since 2014, the Venezuela Open has been a fixture on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica Developmental Series. From 1979 to 2009 it made frequent appearances on the South American Tour, later known as the Tour de las Américas. Between 1961 and 1973 the tournament was a regular stop on the PGA-sponsored Caribbean Tour, when it was called the Caracas Open or Caracas Open Invitational.^[1] The second event in 1957 was co-sponsored by the PGA.^[2]

The event has generally been played at three venues in Caracas: Caracas Country Club, Valle Arriba Golf Club and Lagunita Country Club. In 1999 it was held at Izcaragua Country Club, a short distance east of Caracas while in 2000 it was played at Barquisimeto Golf Club near Barquisimeto.

Winners

More information Year, Tour ...

Year	Tour^[a]	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Venue	Ref.
Abierto de Venezuela
2025		Jorge Pichu García	270	−10	Playoff	Cristian Romero	Valle Arriba	^[3]^[4]
2024		Wolmer Murillo	274	−6	Playoff	Julián Etulain	Guataparo	^[5]
2023	PGATLADEV	Julián Etulain	272	−8	9 strokes	Toto Gana Santiago Quintero	Guataparo
Venezuela Open
2022	PGATLADEV	Virgilio Paz (a)	267	−13	7 strokes	Alfredo Adrián	Guataparo
2021	PGATLADEV	Iván Camilo Ramírez	266	−18	4 strokes	Manuel Torres	Caracas
2020: No tournament
2019	PGATLADEV	George Trujillo (2)	270	−14	1 stroke	Manuel Torres	Caracas
2018	PGATLADEV	George Trujillo	279	−5	2 strokes	Miguel Martinez	Caracas
2017: No tournament
2016	PGATLADEV	Denis Meneghini	278	−2	1 stroke	Otto Solís	Valle Arriba
2015	PGATLADEV	Rafael Guerrero	277	−3	2 strokes	Alejandro Perazzo (a)	Lagunita
2014	PGATLADEV	Diego Larrazábal	207	−3	Playoff^[b]	Denis Meneghini Gustavo Morantes (a)	Lagunita
2010–2013: No tournament
2009	TLA	Daniel Barbetti	270	−10	2 strokes	Jesús Amaya Raúl Fretes	Lagunita
Canal i Abierto de Venezuela
2008	TLA	Ángel Romero (2)	273	−7	1 stroke	Diego Vanegas	Lagunita
2007	TLA	Jesús Amaya (2)	268	−12	3 strokes	Fabián Gómez Sebastián Saavedra	Valle Arriba
Siemens Venezuela Open
2006	TLA	Fabián Gómez	265	−15	2 strokes	Miguel Guzmán	Valle Arriba
2005	TLA	Miguel Rodríguez	269	−11	2 strokes	Jesús Amaya	Lagunita
CANTV Venezuela Open
2004	TLA	Miguel Martinez	265	−15	1 stroke	Wilfredo Morales	Valle Arriba
2003: No tournament
2002	TLA	Jesús Amaya	266	−14	4 strokes	Raúl Fretes	Lagunita
Movilnet Venezuela Open
2001	TLA	Rafael Alarcón	268	−12	1 stroke	Alexandre Rocha	Lagunita
Venezuela Open
2000		Rigoberto Velásquez	283	−1	1 stroke	Ángel Romero	Barquisimeto
1999		Ángel Romero	279	−1			Izcaragua
1998		Gustavo Mendoza	268	−12			Lagunita
1986–1997: No tournament
1985		Ramón Muñoz	269	−11			Valle Arriba
1983–1984: No tournament
1982		Ronan Rafferty	272	−8	1 stroke	Lee Carter	Lagunita	^[6]
1981		Jack Ferencz	267	−13	Playoff^[c]	David Graham	Valle Arriba	^[1]
1980: No tournament
1979		Tony Jacklin	276	−4	2 strokes	Manuel Piñero	Lagunita	^[7]
1974–1978: No tournament
Caracas Open
1973	CAB	Roberto De Vicenzo (2)	272	−8	1 stroke	Vicente Fernández Peter Oosterhuis	Valle Arriba	^[8]
1972	CAB	Roberto De Vicenzo	263	−17	10 strokes	John Cook	Valle Arriba	^[9]
1971	CAB	David Graham	272	−8	1 stroke	Tommy Bolt	Valle Arriba	^[10]
1970: No tournament
1969		Peter Townsend	276	−4	Playoff^[d]	Ramón Muñoz	Valle Arriba	^[11]
1968	CAB	Bert Weaver	269	−11	1 stroke	Wes Ellis	Valle Arriba	^[12]
1967	CAB	Rick Rhoads	276	−4	Playoff^[e]	Alvie Thompson	Valle Arriba	^[13]
1966	CAB	Art Wall Jr. (2)	276	−4	1 stroke	Wes Ellis Dean Refram	Valle Arriba	^[14]
1965 (Nov)	CAB	Al Besselink (3)	275	−5	1 stroke	Art Wall Jr.	Valle Arriba	^[15]
1965 (Feb)	CAB	Al Besselink (2)	273	−7	3 strokes	Wes Ellis	Valle Arriba	^[16]
1964	CAB	George Knudson	277	−3	3 strokes	Ramón Sota	Valle Arriba	^[17]
1963	CAB	Art Wall Jr.	274	−6	2 strokes	George Knudson	Valle Arriba	^[18]
1962	CAB	Al Geiberger	278	−2	1 stroke	Jacky Cupit	Valle Arriba	^[19]
1961	CAB	Don Whitt	272	−8	8 strokes	Joe Moore	Valle Arriba	^[20]
Venezuela Open
1958–1960: No tournament
1957 (Dec)	PGAT	Al Besselink	279	−1	Playoff^[f]	Bob Rosburg	Valle Arriba	^[21]
1957 (Feb)		Flory Van Donck	277	−7	1 stroke	Joe Conrad Roberto De Vicenzo	Caracas	^[22]

Source:^[23]

Notes

[a]
CAB − Caribbean Tour; PGAT − PGA Tour; PGATLADEV − PGA Tour Latinoamérica Developmental Series; TLA − Tour de las Américas.
[b]
Larrazábal won on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff. Morantes was eliminated at the first hole.
[c]
Ferenz won with a par on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
[d]
Townsend won with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
[e]
Rhoads won with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
[f]
Besselink won with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.

References

[1]
McCormack, Mark H. (1982). Dunhill World of Professional Golf 1982. Springwood Books. pp. 276–277, 511. ISBN 0862541018.
[2]
Husky, Bob (15 September 1957). "Off the fairway". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. p. 26. Retrieved 11 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
[3]
"Jorge "Pichu" García alza la Copa del XL Abierto de Venezuela" [Jorge "Pichu" García lifts the XL Abierto de Venezuela Cup] (in Spanish). Federación Venezolana de Golf. 5 April 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
[4]
"XL Abierto de Venezuela 2025" (in Spanish). Federación Venezolana de Golf. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
[5]
"Wolmer Murillo nuevo campeón en XXXIX Abierto de Venezuela" [Wolmer Murillo new champion at XXXIX Abierto de Venezuela]. Meridiano (in Spanish). 9 April 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
[6]
"Rafferty holds off challenge". The Glasgow Herald. Glasgow, Scotland. 30 November 1982. p. 20. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[7]
"Jacklin's Victory in Caracas". The Glasgow Herald. Glasgow, Scotland. 10 December 1979. p. 19. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[8]
"Oosterhuis Joint Second". The Glasgow Herald. Glasgow, Scotland. 13 February 1973. p. 5. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[9]
"De Vicenzo Cops Caracas Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AP. 7 February 1972. p. 26. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[10]
"Graham Wins Caracas Golf". The Spokesman-Review. AP. 6 February 1971. p. 11. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[11]
"Play-off to Townsend". The Canberra Times. Vol. 44, no. 12, 471. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 18 November 1969. p. 21. Retrieved 12 September 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
[12]
"Caracas Open Money Winners". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AP. 18 November 1968. p. 33. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[13]
"Rhoads winner: Caracas playoff". The Spokesman-Review. AP. 20 November 1967. p. 11. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[14]
"Wall Captures Caracas Open". Youngstown Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. AP. 14 November 1966. p. 15. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[15]
"Besselink Finds Putting Secret". The Gazette (Montreal). Montreal, Canada. AP. 22 November 1965. p. 29. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[16]
"Besselink Catches Ellis, Wins Caracas Open". The Gazette (Montreal). Montreal, Canada. AP. 1 March 1965. p. 32. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[17]
"Knudson Wins Open". The Gazette (Montreal). Montreal, Canada. AP. 24 February 1964. p. 19. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[18]
"Wall first In Caracas, Knudson Next". The Gazette (Montreal). Montreal, Canada. AP. 25 February 1963. p. 24. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[19]
"Geiberger Triumphs". Youngstown Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. AP. 26 February 1962. p. 14. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[20]
"Don Whitt Wins Caracas Open". The Gazette (Montreal). Montreal, Canada. UPI. 27 February 1961. p. 21. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[21]
"Al Besselink Wins In Caracas". Youngstown Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. AP. 2 December 1957. p. 21. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
[22]
"Van Donck Rallies To Win Venezuela Golf Tournament". The Tampa Tribune. AP. 11 February 1957. p. 25. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
[23]
"Campeones del Abierto de Venezuela" (PDF). Federación Venezolana de Golf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2022.

Venezuela Open

Winners

See also

Notes

References

External links

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