Children’s Miracle Network Classic History and Past Winners

The Children’s Miracle Network Classic has been played at Walt Disney World in Florida in one form or another since 1971. In its initial year, it was known as the Walt Disney World Open Invitational or the Walt Disney World Classic. The first three years it was won by—who else—Jack Nicklaus.

From 1974 – 1981, the event was played as a two-man, better ball event, making it officially part of the PGA Tour’s unofficial Silly Season. Sanity returned in 1982, when it re-emerged as the Walt Disney World Golf Classic. The revived event was won that year by Hal Sutton.

Walt Disney World was in the title of the tournament until 2007, when it was rechristened the Children’s Miracle Network Classic Presented by Wal Mart. Other than the Walt Disney corporation, the other sponsor has been Japanese consumer electronics company Funai, Oldsmobile and National Car Rental. It’s now just the Children’s Miracle Network Classic.

Two Walt Disney World Golf Courses are used in the tournament: The Magnolia Course at Walt Disney World and its sister Palm Course. The nearby Lake Buena Vista golf course also has been part of the event in several years. (You can see photos of my trip to the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course here.)

In spite of its position in the schedule, historically, the Disney has been popular with the players. Many of them live nearby, and the tournament makes it easy to take the kids to Disney World.

A complete list of winners follows:

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