For 40 years, the PGA had a regular tour stop in Westchester, bringing the game’s greats to Westchester Country Club.
The winners list includes Jack Nicklaus (the inaugural in 1967, 1972), Arnold Palmer (1971), Seve Ballesteros (1983, 1988), and Ernie Els (1996, 1997). Vijay Singh was Westchester’s only three-time winner, lifting the trophy in 1993, 1995 and 2006. Sergio Garcia won here in 2001 and 2004.
Often, the event was played in June, either as a tune-up for the U.S. Open or the week after the Open. When it was a tune-up, the field was flush; when it followed the Open, the field sometimes slackened.
In 1990, Hale Irwin came to Westchester riding a U.S. Open win at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago. Irwin, who at 45 became the oldest to ever with the Open, celebrated by circling the 18th green at Medinah, high-fiving the crowd. When he won in Westchester the following week, he thrilled the crowd by repeating the high-fives around 18.
The annual date at Westchester went by many names: The Westchester Classic (1967-75), American Express Westchester Classic (1976-78), Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic (1979-89), Buick Classic (1990-2004), Barclays Classic (2005-06), The Barclays (2007).
Yes, it went by many names and then it went. After the Barclays in 2007, the Classic — or whatever folks remembered it by — was no more, and Westchester lost its annual date with touring golf. Its last champion was Steve Stricker.
Who won the Westchester Classic/Buick Classic/Barclays?
1967: Jack Nicklaus
1968: Julius Boros
1969: Frank Beard
1970: Bruce Crampton
1971: Arnold Palmer
1972: Jack Nicklaus
1973: Bobby Nichols (def. Bob Murphy in playoff)
1974: Johnny Miller
1975: Gene Littler (def. Julius Boros in playoff)
1976: David Graham
1977: Andy North
1978: Lee Elder
1979: Jack Renner
1980: Curtis Strange
1981: Raymond Floyd
1982: Bob Gilder
1983: Seve Ballesteros
1984: Scott Simpson
1985: Roger Maltbie (def. George Burns, Raymond Floyd in playoff)
1986: Bob Tway
1987: J.C. Snead (def. Seve Ballesteros in playoff)
1988: Seve Ballesteros (def. David Frost, Ken Green, Greg Norman in playoff)
1989: Wayne Grady (def. Ronnie Black in playoff)
1990: Hale Irwin
1991: Billy Andrade
1992: David Frost
1993: Vijay Singh (def. Mark Wiebe in playoff)
1994: Lee Janzen
1995: Vijay Singh (def. Doug Martin in playoff)
1996: Ernie Els
1997: Ernie Els
1998: J.P. Hayes (shortened due to weather; def. Jim Furyk in playoff)
1999: Duffy Waldorf (def. Dennis Paulson in playoff)
2000: Dennis Paulson (def. David Duval in playoff)
2001: Sergio Garcia
2002: Chris Smith
2003: Jonathan Kaye (def. John Rollins in playoff)
2004: Sergio Garcia (def. Padraig Harrington, Rory Sabbatini in playoff)
2005: Padraig Harrington
2006: Vijay Singh
2007: Steve Stricker
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: PGA greats had an annual date at Westchester NY Country Club 1967-2007
