Crowne Plaza Invitational At Colonial Tournament Notes

Dates: May 20-26, 2013

Where: Colonial Country Club; Fort Worth, TX

Par/Yards: 35-35—70/7,204

Field: 136; Defending Champion: Zach Johnson

Purse: $6,400,000; Winner’s Share: $1,152,000; Format: 72-hole stroke play

Twitter: @CrownePlazaInv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Colonial

How the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial was won in 2012

Jason Dufner entered the final round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial holding a slim one-stroke lead over 2010 Colonial champion Zach Johnson, but Johnson’s 2-over 72 was enough for a one-stroke victory over Dufner (74).

The tournament came down to a match-play competition over the final 36 holes, with a triple bogey on the par-4 15th on Sunday for Dufner helping secure Johnson’s second win at Colonial.

Things got interesting on the final hole, however, as Johnson violated Rule 20-7 as he played his ball on the green from the wrong place, leading to a two-stroke penalty

More On 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational Champion Zach Johnson

Zach Johnson notched his eighth PGA TOUR victory in his 226th start (2004 BellSouth Classic, 2007 Masters Tournament, 2007 AT&T Classic, 2008 Valero Texas Open, 209 Sony Open in Hawaii, 2009 Valero Texas Open, 2010 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial). Later in the season, he added his ninth title at the John Deere Classic.

The Sea Island resident claimed his first three TOUR titles in his adopted home state of Georgia (2004 BellSouth Classic, 2007 Masters, 2007 AT&T Classic). After that, he has claimed four of his next six wins in the state of Texas (2008-09 Valero Texas Open, 2010, 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial). His only wins outside of Georgia and Texas came at the 2009 Sony Open in Hawaii and 2012 John Deere Classic.

Johnson has posted multiple victories at three tournaments: 2004 & 2007 AT&T Classic, 2008 & 2009 Valero Texas Open, 2010 & 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
li>Johnson’s final-round 2-over 72 in 2012 snapped a streak of 15 consecutive rounds in the 60s at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, dating to a first-round 69 in 2009.

Johnson has four-consecutive top-10 finishes and has never finished outside of the top 30 in seven starts at the Colonial: 2012/1st, 2011/4th, 2010/1st, 2009/T9, 2006/T30, 2005/T26, 2004/T14. 
li>Johnson is seeking to join Ben Hogan as the only players to win back-to-back Colonials, with Hogan performing the feat twice (1946-47 and 1952-53). 

Sang-Moon Bae Seeking “DFW Double”

Sang-Moon Bae will seek to become just the second player to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and HP Byron Nelson Championship in the same year (Ben Hogan/1946). He would be the first to do so in back-to-back weeks.

Fourteen players have won both the HP Byron Nelson Championship and the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial during their career. Players who have won the “DFW Double”: Ben Crenshaw, Roberto De Vicenzo, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Bruce Devlin, Jack Nicklaus, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Watson, Bruce Lietzke, Nick Price, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Rory Sabbatini and Julius Boros.

Bae finished 77th at the 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with rounds of 70-70-77.

FedExCup and the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

Ten players inside the top 25 in the FedExCup standings are in the field, including Kevin Streelman (No. 3), Matt Kuchar (No. 5), D.A. Points (No. 7), Sang-Moon Bae (No. 18), Hunter Mahan (No. 19), Chris Kirk (No. 20), Brian Gay (No. 21), Martin Laird (No. 22), John Merrick (No. 23) and Michael Thompson (No. 25).

A Glance At The Field

Nine of the top 30 players in the Official World Golf Rankings are in the field: Louis Oosthuizen (No. 7), Matt Kuchar (No. 12), Charl Schwartzel (No. 17), Jason Dufner (No. 20), Hunter Mahan (No. 21), Bo Van Pelt (No. 26), Jim Furyk (No. 27), Zach Johnson (No. 29) and Rickie Fowler (No. 30).

Eight past champions: Zach Johnson (2010, 2012), David Toms (2011), Rory Sabbatini (2007), Tim Herron (2006), Steve Flesch (2004), Corey Pavin (1985, 1996), Tom Lehman (1995), Keith Clearwater (1987).

2013 TOUR winners: Sang-Moon Bae (HP Byron Nelson Championship), Scott Brown (Puerto Rico Open), Derek Ernst (Wells Fargo Championship), Brian Gay (Humana Challenge), Matt Kuchar (WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship), Martin Laird (Valero Texas Open), John Merrick (Northern Trust Open), D.A. Points (Shell Houston Open), Kevin Streelman (Tampa Bay Championship), Michael Thompson (Honda Classic).

Multiple PGA TOUR winners, led by 34-time winner Vijay Singh, Davis Love III (20), Jim Furyk (16), Corey Pavin (15), David Toms (13), Justin Leonard (12), David Frost (10), Zach Johnson (9).

Corey Pavin will be making his 30th career start (just four missed cuts) at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial this year, with wins in 1985 and 1996. He has played the event every year dating back to his first start in 1984. He owns eight top 10s at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, while Ben Hogan leads in all-time top 10s here with 15.

Jim Furyk will be making his 18th career start at the Colonial. A solo-fourth place finish in 2012 was his seventh top-10 finish at the event, with runner-up finishes in 1998 and 2007.

Local favorite Ryan Palmer finally cracked the top 10 in his ninth Colonial start, finishing T5 in 2012.

Rickie Fowler will make his 4th start at the Crowne Plaza Invitational (T38-2010, T16-2011, T5-2012).

1987 champion Keith Clearwater will be making his 26th start at the event.

In addition to the Champions Choice selections (see below), Fort Worth native John Peterson, the 2011 NCAA champion at LSU, is in the field as a sponsor exemption.

Miscellaneous Tournament Notes

Zach Johnson set the 72-hole tournament (65-66-64-64—259) at the 2010 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial to finish at 21-under-par. The previous tournament record was set by Kenny Perry who shot 261 in both his victories in 2003 and 2005. The four-round score of 259 is also a personal best for Johnson, who shot 261 to win the 2008 Valero Texas Open.

The Colonial CC course record is 61, set by Chad Campbell (2004), Justin Leonard (2003), Kenny Perry (2003), Greg Kraft (1999), Keith Clearwater (1993) and Lee Janzen (1993).

Colonial Country Club shows its teeth over the stretch of holes from Nos. 3-5, known as the “Horrible Horseshoe.” Cumulatively in 2012, the holes played as the eighth (4.119), sixth (3.174) and most difficult (4.321), respectively.

Over the past 10 years, Steve Stricker (2009), Zach Johnson (2010 & 2012) and David Toms (2011) are the only come-from-behind winners at Colonial. Prior to those, the last come-from-behind winner at Colonial was Sergio Garcia in 2001, who made up a five-shot deficit to defeat Phil Mickelson.

In the 65-year history of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, the 54-hole leader/co-leader has gone on to claim victory 34 times.

Zach Johnson became the 12th multiple winner of the Crowne Plaza Invitational. Ben Hogan leads with five wins, while Johnson joined two-time winners Billy Casper, Julius Boros, Al Geiberger, Ben Crenshaw, Bruce Lietzke, Lee Trevino, Corey Pavin, Nick Price, Kenny Perry and Phil Mickelson

“Champions Choice” Invitation
Every year, past champions of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial select two deserving young players to compete in the event, who otherwise would not have been eligible. It’s a unique TOUR tradition known as the “Champions’ Choice” invitation. Pros who made their first start at Colonial as a Champion’s Choice include Tom Weiskopf, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange, Mark O’Meara, Paul Azinger and Davis Love III. Dave Stockton won the event as a Champions Choice in 1967 and five other choices have eventually won the event during their careers. This year’s recipients are Jordan Spieth (current PGA TOUR Special Temporary Member) and Franklin Corpening (a Colonial Country Club member who attended Paschal High School and played golf for TCU from 2004-08).

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial one of the TOUR’s longest running events
The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial dates back to 1946 and holds the distinction of being the longest-run event on the PGA TOUR to be contested on the same layout, and the 10th oldest overall. Since its inception in 1946, the Invitational has produced an impressive list of champions that few other events can match, with such legends as Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer having donned the Scottish royal tartan plaid jacket. The TOUR’s oldest events are as follows:
1. BMW Championship: 1899 (Western Open)
2. RBC Canadian Open: 1904
3. Valero Texas Open: 1922
4. Northern Trust Open: 1926 (Los Angeles Open)
5. Waste Management Phoenix Open: 1935
6. AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am: 1937 (Crosby Clambake)
7. Wyndham Championship: 1938 (Greater Greensboro Open)
7. Zurich Classic of New Orleans: 1938 (Crescent City Open)
8. HP Byron Nelson Championship: 1944
9. Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial: 1946
10. Shell Houston Open: 1946

History Abounds at Colonial Country Club

Colonial Country Club is a traditional layout that was built in 1936.

Its fame skyrocketed after hosting the 1941 U.S. Open, marking the first time the USGA had hosted their premier event south of the Mason-Dixon Line. That tournament, won by Craig Wood, was such a success that it spawned the creation of what is now the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in 1946.

Among the highlights of the famed club are:

• Colonial Country Club recently celebrated its jubilee 75th anniversary in 2011
• Hometown favorite Ben Hogan winning the first two Invitationals on his way to a career-total five wins at the event, earning it the nickname “Hogan’s Alley”.
• No other course has hosted a U.S. Open (1941), PLAYERS Championship (1975) and annual PGA TOUR event (1946-present).
• Wall of Champions located on the first tee, honoring the name and score of each champion dating back to the 1941 U.S. Open. The Wall was erected in 1975 prior to THE PLAYERS.

Source: PGA TOUR