Inverness Invitational Four-Ball

The Inverness Invitational Four-Ball was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1935 to 1953. It was played at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

Format

The tournament featured an unusual team round robin format. From 1935 to 1951, the field consisted of eight two-man teams. They would play seven rounds totalling 126 holes in four-ball format. A team earned or lost points on each hole, in a match play style, based on their score versus the opposing team for that round. A team scored "+1" for each hole won and "−1" for each hole lost. The teams were shuffled after every round so that every team played one round against every other team. The team with the most points after seven rounds won.^[1]^[2]

In 1952, the field was six teams and they played over five rounds for a total of 90 holes.

In 1953, the format shifted to traditional 72-hole stroke play with a field of 30 players.

The women's invitational replaced the men's event in 1954.

Winners

Inverness Invitational

1953 Jack Burke Jr.

Inverness Invitational Four-Ball

1952 Jim Ferrier and Sam Snead
1951 Roberto De Vicenzo and Henry Ransom
1950 Jim Ferrier and Sam Snead
1949 Bob Hamilton and Chick Harbert
1948 Jimmy Demaret and Ben Hogan
1947 Jimmy Demaret and Ben Hogan
1946 Jimmy Demaret and Ben Hogan
1943–1945 No tournaments staged due to World War II
1942 Lawson Little and Lloyd Mangrum
1941 Jimmy Demaret and Ben Hogan
1940 Ralph Guldahl and Sam Snead
1939 Henry Picard and Johnny Revolta
1938 Vic Ghezzi and Sam Snead
1937 Harry Cooper and Horton Smith
1936 Walter Hagen and Ky Laffoon^[3]
1935 Henry Picard and Johnny Revolta^[4]

References

^ "Golf Pros Gather For Annual Match". The Fremont Messenger. Ohio. Associated Press. July 23, 1935. p. 7 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Pros Will Start Four-Ball Today". The Miami Herald. Associated Press. August 1, 1935. p. 6 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Hagen, Laffoon Win Inverness Tournament". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. Associated Press. June 29, 1936. p. 2, Sec. 2.
^ "Picard and Revolta Victors at Inverness". The Boston Globe. Massachusetts. Associated Press. August 5, 1935. p. 8.