WGC Invitational

The WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational is a professional golf tournament hosted at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, and is one of the four annual World Golf Championships.

WGC Invitational
Tournament information
LocationMemphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Established1999
Course(s)TPC Southwind
(2019–present)
Par70
Length7,244 yards (6,624 m)
Tour(s)PGA Tour
European Tour
(1999–2015, 2017–)
FormatStroke play
Prize fund$10,500,000
€8,210,000 (est.)
Month playedAugust in 2020
Tournament record score
Aggregate259 Tiger Woods (2000)
To par−21 Tiger Woods (2000)
Current champion
Justin Thomas
2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational
Memphis
Location in the United States
TPC Southwind 
Location in Tennessee

It was previously known as the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational (2006–2018), and the WGC-NEC Invitational (1999–2005) when it was hosted at Firestone Country Club in Ohio (except for 2002 when it was hosted at Sahalee Country Club in Washington). It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Tiger Woods has the record number of wins with eight.[1][2] The winner receives a Wedgwood trophy called The Gary Player Cup.[3]

The event was established in 1999 as a successor to the World Series of Golf.

Sponsorship

From 1999 through 2005, the WGC Invitational was sponsored by NEC. NEC had also sponsored the World Series of Golf from 1984 to 1998. The tournament changed sponsorship in 2006, with Bridgestone taking over as title sponsor. As a part of the sponsorship agreement, the event continued to be held at the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. In August 2013, the Bridgestone sponsorship was extended through 2018.[4]

The 2018 event was the last held in Akron. In 2019, FedEx became the title sponsor and relocated the tournament to Memphis, Tennessee. The 2019 event is scheduled to be held at TPC Southwind.[5][6]

Venues

Prior to 2019 the event was hosted at the South Course of Firestone Country Club, with one exception. The 2002 event was played at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington. Beginning in 2019, the WGC Invitational will be held at TPC Southwind.

Qualifying criteria

The current event has a field of about 75 players, roughly half the number for a standard professional golf event. Invitations are issued to the following:

From 1999 to 2001, only the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams were eligible and the field was about 40 players. Prior to 2011, both Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams were eligible.

World Series of Golf
Main article: NEC World Series of Golf

From 1976 through 1998, the PGA Tour event at Firestone Country Club was the "World Series of Golf," and was sponsored by NEC beginning in 1984. It was founded as a four-man invitational event in 1962, comprising the winners of the four major championships in a 36-hole event.[7] the competitors played in one group for $75,000 in unofficial prize money, televised by NBC.

In 1976, it became a 72-hole, $300,000 PGA Tour event and its field was initially expanded to twenty;[8] the victory and $100,000 winner's share went to Nicklaus.[9] The largest first prize at a major in 1976 was $45,000 at the PGA Championship.

The World Series of Golf quickly became a leading event on the tour. For many years a victory in it gave a 10-year exemption on the PGA Tour, the same as was granted for a victory in a major championship at that time, and twice as long as is given even for winning a major now. The field consisted of the winners of all the high status men's professional golf tournaments around the world in the previous twelve months. This was quite different from the criteria for the WGC Invitational listed above, but produced much the same sort of global field.

Winners
World Golf Championship1999–2015; 2017 onwards
World Golf Championship without European Tour recognition2016
#YearDate
(Rd4)		WinnerCountryVenueScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-upPurse
($)		Winner's
share ($)
WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational
22nd2020Aug 2Justin Thomas (2) United StatesSouthwind, Tennessee267−133 strokes Daniel Berger
Brooks Koepka
Tom Lewis
Phil Mickelson		10,500,0001,785,000
21st2019Jul 28Brooks Koepka United StatesSouthwind, Tennessee264−163 strokes Webb Simpson10,250,0001,745,000
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
20th2018Aug 5Justin Thomas United StatesFirestone, Ohio265−154 strokes Kyle Stanley10,000,0001,700,000
19th2017Aug 6Hideki Matsuyama JapanFirestone, Ohio264−165 strokes Zach Johnson9,750,0001,660,000
18th2016Jul 3Dustin Johnson United StatesFirestone, Ohio274−61 stroke Scott Piercy9,500,0001,620,000
17th2015Aug 9Shane Lowry IrelandFirestone, Ohio269−112 strokes Bubba Watson9,250,0001,570,000
16th2014Aug 3Rory McIlroy Northern IrelandFirestone, Ohio265−152 strokes Sergio García9,000,0001,500,000
15th2013Aug 4Tiger Woods (8) United StatesFirestone, Ohio265−157 strokes Keegan Bradley
Henrik Stenson		8,750,0001,500,000
14th2012Aug 5Keegan Bradley United StatesFirestone, Ohio267−131 stroke Jim Furyk
Steve Stricker		8,500,0001,400,000
13th2011Aug 7Adam Scott AustraliaFirestone, Ohio263−174 strokes Luke Donald
Rickie Fowler		8,500,0001,400,000
12th 2010Aug 8Hunter Mahan United StatesFirestone, Ohio268−122 strokes Ryan Palmer8,500,0001,400,000
11th 2009Aug 9Tiger Woods (7) United StatesFirestone, Ohio268−124 strokes Robert Allenby
Pádraig Harrington		8,500,0001,400,000
10th 2008Aug 3Vijay Singh FijiFirestone, Ohio270−101 stroke Stuart Appleby
Lee Westwood		8,000,0001,350,000
9th2007Aug 5Tiger Woods (6) United StatesFirestone, Ohio272−88 strokes Justin Rose
Rory Sabbatini		8,000,0001,350,000
8th2006Aug 27Tiger Woods (5) United StatesFirestone, Ohio270−10Playoff Stewart Cink7,500,0001,300,000
WGC-NEC Invitational
7th2005Aug 21Tiger Woods (4) United StatesFirestone, Ohio274−61 stroke Chris DiMarco7,500,0001,300,000
6th2004Aug 22Stewart Cink United StatesFirestone, Ohio269−114 strokes Rory Sabbatini
Tiger Woods		7,000,0001,200,000
5th2003Aug 24Darren Clarke Northern IrelandFirestone, Ohio268−124 strokes Jonathan Kaye6,000,0001,050,000
4th2002Aug 25Craig Parry AustraliaSahalee, Washington268−164 strokes Robert Allenby
Fred Funk		5,500,0001,000,000
3rd2001Aug 26Tiger Woods (3) United StatesFirestone, Ohio268−12Playoff Jim Furyk5,000,0001,000,000
2nd2000Aug 27Tiger Woods (2) United StatesFirestone, Ohio259−2111 strokes Justin Leonard
Phillip Price		5,000,0001,000,000
1st1999Aug 29Tiger Woods United StatesFirestone, Ohio270−101 stroke Phil Mickelson5,000,0001,000,000

References
  1. "Tournament History". European Tour. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  2. "PGA Tour Media Guide". PGA Tour. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  3. Heath, Elliott (August 7, 2017). "The Best Trophies In Golf". Golf Monthly. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  4. Ridenour, Marla (August 4, 2013). "PGA Tour, Bridgestone extend contract to keep tournament at Firestone C.C. through 2018". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  5. Wright, Branson (April 12, 2018). "WGC-Bridgestone Invitational will leave Firestone in 2019". cleveland.com.
  6. "2019 Dates Announced". PGA Tour. July 9, 2018.
  7. "World Series of Golf back for final time". The Augusta Chronicle. AP. August 27, 1998. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  8. "Now golf has a real World Series". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. August 29, 1976. p. 7B.
  9. "Nicklaus silences his doubters". Palm Beach Post. wire services. September 6, 1976. p. D1.

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