Fort Worth Invitational: Memorable moments
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1. 2003: Annika tests herself
Annika Sorenstam was the No. 1 female player in the world in 2003. The previous year she had joined Mickey Wright as the only LPGA players to win 11 times in a year. Her accomplishments and notoriety led tournament organizers at the Bank of America Colonial to give her a sponsor exemption. She became the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event since Babe Didrikson Zaharias in 1945. Amid intense scrutiny and more than a little controversy, Sorenstam shot 71-74 and missed the cut by four shots. But she considered the week a success. “I learned a lot about myself,” she said.
Associated Press
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2. 1946-47: Hogan wins first two Colonials
The tournament couldn’t have had a more appropriate winner than Ben Hogan. A Fort Worth native, Hogan had been sponsored on Tour by local businessman Marvin Leonard, who was the founder of Colonial Country Club. Hogan’s win in 1946 was one of a career-high 13 wins in a year, which included his first major, the PGA Championship.
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4. 1998: Old Tom becomes oldest Colonial winner
Tom Watson won 39 times on the PGA Tour, 11th on the all-time list. His last victory came in the 1998 MasterCard Colonial, when he was 48, which made him the oldest winner at Colonial. He closed with a 4-under-par 66 to win by two shots. It was only his second victory in 11 years.
Associated Press
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5. 2008: Mickelson’s miracle shot
Phil Mickelson came to the final hole tied for the lead, but after slicing his tee shot badly to the left – a shot reminiscent of his final tee shot in the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot - his prospects for winning weren’t looking good. But Mickelson, as he so often seems to do, hit a spectacular wedge shot over the trees to 9 feet, then sank the putt for his second Colonial win.
Associated Press
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6. 2001: Sergio’s first PGA Tour win
Ever since Sergio Garcia scissor-kicked his way into the public consciousness in the 1999 PGA Championship, golf fans had been waiting for him to win on the PGA Tour. Garcia broke through in 2001 at Colonial, becoming, at 21, the youngest winner on Tour since Tiger Woods won at age 20 in 1996. Starting the final round five strokes behind leader and defending champion Phil Mickelson, Garcia closed with a 7-under 63 to win by two.
Associated Press
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7. 2011: Toms bounces back
David Toms was still dealing with the disappointment of having lost to K.J. Choi in a playoff at The Players Championship when he arrived at Colonial. It wasn’t just that he had lost, it was how he had lost – by missing a simple 3-foot par putt. Toms attacked Colonial with a vengeance, opening with a pair of 62s. But he could manage only a 74 in the third round, and lost the lead to Charlie Wi. Toms steadied himself on Sunday, holing an 83-yard wedge shot for eagle on the way to a 67 and a one-shot win. “To win … after what happened last week certainly means more to me than any other victory,” Toms said.
Associated Press
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8. 2010: ZJ breaks scoring record
Zach Johnson is from Iowa, but as well as he plays in the Lone Star State, he might as well be from Texas. John had already won two Texas Opens (2008, ’09) when he added Colonial’s tournament to his resume. And he didn’t just win – he broke the 72-hole scoring record, shooting 21-under 259. Johnson won a plaid jacket to complement the green one he has from his 2007 Masters win. “Just knowing the gentlemen who have donned this jacket and will don this jacket and putting myself in that company is very humbling,” he said.
Associated Press
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9. 1959: Hogan’s final win
Ben Hogan is best remembered for his performance in 1953, in which he won the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship, a feat sometimes known as the Hogan Slam. What’s not as well known is that Hogan won only once more on the PGA Tour after 1953. It was at Colonial, fittingly, where he had already won four times. In his last win there, he tied Fred Hawkins at 5 over in regulation, then won their playoff.
Associated Press
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10. IBF and the traveling pants
Ian Baker-Finch had hit a shot into the water just short of the 13th green, but the ball was playable. He had taken his shoes and socks off when he decided to go a step further and remove his pants, too. After he hit the shot, he noticed that a lot of women in the gallery kept calling for him to “hit it in the water.”
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3. 2016: Spieth strikes back
Jordan Spieth was sick of hearing about the 2016 Masters and the meltdown that cost him what should have been another green jacket. So when some nitwit in the crowd at Colonial yelled “Remember the Masters” as Spieth was playing the 10th hole on Sunday, Spieth snapped to attention. “I had a little red-ass in me and it came out in the next few holes,” Spieth said. It came out in the form of a back-nine 30 and a three-shot win. “This day is a moment that will go down, no matter what happens in the next 30 years, as one of the most important days I’ve ever had,” Spieth said.
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