Crowne Plaza Invitational Winners and History

NOTE: The Crowne Plaza Invitational became the Fort Worth Invitational and now is the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Unlike Arnold Palmer and Byron Nelson, there’s no tournament named for Ben Hogan. But if there was one, it would be The Colonial. Hogan won here at the Colonial Invitational five times (1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1959) and considered the Colonial Country Club his home course.

The genesis and inspiration for the Crowne Plaza Invitational was the 1941 US Open, which was held at Colonial Country Club. It was the first US Open held south of the Mason-Dixon line, and was thought a huge success. Local organizers hoped to capitalize on that goodwill, and in 1946 launched The Colonial Invitational.

Much of the appeal of the Colonial is that it has been played on the same classic course since its inception. Indeed, it’s impossible to imagine the tournament not being held there. The club, which dates to 1936, was designed by John Bredemus and Perry Maxwell and has among its memorable vistas holes that extend along the length of the Trinity River.

The Colonial National Invitational had no title sponsor until 1988, when it became the MasterCard Colonial Invitational. In 2003, it was picked up by Bank of America. In 2007, it became the Crown Plaza Invitational At Colonial. The current purse is $6,200,000, with $1,116,000 going to the winner.

The Colonial winners’ list looks like a Hall of Fame roster. In addition to Hogan, there’s Palmer, Snead, Casper, Bolt, De Vicenzo, Stockton, Crenshaw, Nicklaus, Price, Watson and Mickelson (Tiger is curiously absent). The strength of the winners’ roster is in part due to the strength of field: The Colonial is an Invitational, with only the top 80 players on the previous year’s money list guaranteed a spot.

A unique tradition at the Colonial is the “Champion’s Choice.” Each year, former Colonial Invitational Champions select two young players to join the field who otherwise would be ineligible. Among the Champions Choices were Al Greiberger, Tom Weiskopf, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange, Mark O’Meara, Paul Azinger and Davis Love. Dave Stockton won the tournament in the year he was selected.

While the Masters has the Green Jacket, the Colonial offers a Scottish tartan plaid jacket for its champions and committee chairmen. The tournament and Colonial Golf club also is marked by the engraved marble Wall of Champions near the first tee, which features the name and score of each of the tournament’s winners.

A random note: In 2003, Annika Sorenstam played the Colonial Invitational, becoming the first women to play a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias entered the Los Angeles Open.

A list of the winners of the Colonial Invitational follows:

Charles Schwab / Colonial Invitational Winners

Year	Player	Score	To par	Margin
Charles Schwab Challenge
2019	Kevin Na	267	-13	4 strokes
Fort Worth Invitational
2018	Justin Rose	260	-20	3 strokes
Dean & DeLuca Invitational
2017	Kevin Kisner	270	-10	1 stroke
2016	Chris Kirk	268	-12	3 strokes
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
2015	Chris Kirk	268	–12	1 stroke
2014	Adam Scott	271	−9	Playoff
2013	Boo Weekley	266	−14	1 stroke
2012	Zach Johnson (2)	268	−12	1 stroke
2011	David Toms	265	−15	1 stroke
2010	Zach Johnson	259	−21	3 strokes
2009	Steve Stricker	263	−17	Playoff
2008	Phil Mickelson (2)	266	−14	1 stroke
2007	Rory Sabbatini	266	−14	Playoff
Bank of America Colonial
2006	Tim Herron	268	−12	Playoff
2005	Kenny Perry (2)	261	−19	7 strokes
2004	Steve Flesch	269	−11	1 stroke
2003	Kenny Perry	261	−19	6 strokes
MasterCard Colonial
2002	Nick Price (2)	267	−13	5 strokes
2001	Sergio García	267	−13	2 strokes
2000	Phil Mickelson	268	−12	2 strokes
1999	Olin Browne	272	−8	1 stroke
1998	Tom Watson	265	−15	2 strokes
1997	David Frost	265	−15	2 strokes
1996	Corey Pavin (2)	272	−8	2 strokes
Colonial National Invitation
1995	Tom Lehman	271	−9	1 stroke
Southwestern Bell Colonial
1994	Nick Price	266	−14	Playoff
1993	Fulton Allem	264	−16	1 stroke
1992	Bruce Lietzke (2)	267	−13	Playoff
1991	Tom Purtzer	267	−13	3 strokes
1990	Ben Crenshaw (2)	272	−8	3 strokes
1989	Ian Baker-Finch	270	−10	4 strokes
Colonial National Invitation
1988	Lanny Wadkins	270	−10	1 stroke
1987	Keith Clearwater	266	−14	3 strokes
1986	Dan Pohl	205 (rain - 54 holes)	−5	Playoff
1985	Corey Pavin	266	−14	4 strokes
1984	Peter Jacobsen	270	−10	Playoff
1983	Jim Colbert	278	−2	Playoff
1982	Jack Nicklaus	273	−7	3 strokes
1981	Fuzzy Zoeller	274	−6	4 strokes
1980	Bruce Lietzke	271	−9	1 stroke
1979	Al Geiberger	274	−6	1 stroke
1978	Lee Trevino (2)	268	−12	4 strokes
1977	Ben Crenshaw	272	−8	1 stroke
1976	Lee Trevino	273	−7	1 stroke
1975	No tournament - hosted the Tournament Players Championship
1974	Rod Curl	276	−4	1 stroke
1973	Tom Weiskopf	276	−4	1 stroke
1972	Jerry Heard	275	−5	2 strokes
1971	Gene Littler	283	3	1 stroke
1970	Homero Blancas	273	−7	1 stroke
1969	Gardner Dickinson	278	−2	1 stroke
1968	Billy Casper (2)	275	−5	5 strokes
1967	Dave Stockton	278	−2	2 strokes
1966	Bruce Devlin	280	E	1 stroke
1965	Bruce Crampton	276	−4	3 strokes
1964	Billy Casper	279	−1	4 strokes
1963	Julius Boros (2)	279	−1	4 strokes
1962	Arnold Palmer	281	1	Playoff
1961	Doug Sanders	281	1	1 stroke
1960	Julius Boros	280	E	1 stroke
1959	Ben Hogan (5)	285	5	Playoff
1958	Tommy Bolt	282	2	1 stroke
1957	Roberto De Vicenzo	284	4	1 stroke
1956	Mike Souchak	280	E	1 stroke
1955	Chandler Harper	276	−4	8 strokes
1954	Johnny Palmer	280	E	2 strokes
1953	Ben Hogan (4)	282	2	5 strokes
1952	Ben Hogan (3)	279	−1	4 strokes
1951	Cary Middlecoff	282	2	1 stroke
1950	Sam Snead	277	−3	3 strokes
1949	No tournament - cancelled due to course flooding[17]
1948	Clayton Heafner	272	−8	6 strokes
1947	Ben Hogan (2)	279	−1	1 stroke
1946	Ben Hogan	279	−1	1 stroke

Winners of the Charles Schwab / Colonial Invitational At Colonial.