New England Classic
The New England Classic was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1969 through 1998. It was held under various names at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, Massachusetts.
Pleasant Valley was the site of other PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events. Three LPGA Tour events, the Lady Carling Eastern Open from 1962 to 1966, the LPGA Championship from 1967 to 1968 and again from 1970 to 1972, and the Patty Berg Classic in 1969 were held at Pleasant Valley. The PGA Tour first stopped at Pleasant Valley in 1965 when "Champagne" Tony Lema won the Carling World Open, which was part of a circuit sponsored by the Carling Brewery. The inaugural Kemper Open was held at Pleasant Valley in 1968, with Arnold Palmer winning and marking the only time the men's and women's tours staged tournaments staged events on the same course in the same year until the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open were held at Pinehurst Number 2 in back-to-back weeks.[1] (The Kemper event moved to North Carolina the next year.)
Winners
Tournament highlights
- 1975: Roger Maltbie wins for the second consecutive week on the PGA Tour. He beats Mac McLendon by one shot.[2] Afterwards, Maltbie left his $40,000 winner's check behind in a bar.[3]
- 1977: Due to the PGA Tour labeling it a 'designated event',[4] Jack Nicklaus plays in the tournament for the first and only time. He finishes in second place two shots behind winner Raymond Floyd.[5]
- 1978: One week after winning the PGA Championship, John Mahaffey also takes home the American Optical Classic title. He beats defending champion Raymond Floyd and the PGA Tour's only optometrist, Gil Morgan, by two shots.[6]
- 1986: Gene Sauers defeats Blaine McCallister on the third hole of a sudden death playoff for his first ever PGA Tour title after having to hole a par chip on the first playoff hole to avoid elimination.[7]
- 1989: Three years after suffering a tough luck playoff loss at Pleasant Valley, Blaine McCallister birdies the final two holes to win the 21st edition of the tournament by one shot over Brad Faxon.[8]
- 1998: Steve Pate wins the last edition of the tournament. He beat Scott Hoch and Bradley Hughes by one shot.[9] For Pate it was his first victory since a 1996 car accident.
See also
- CVS Caremark Charity Classic - an unofficial PGA Tour event that used the CVS Charity Classic name
- Deutsche Bank Championship - a PGA Tour event held in greater Boston since 2003.
References
- ↑ Berlet, Bruce (July 22, 1998). "An Unhappy Finale For Pleasant Valley". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
- ↑ Roger Maltbie comes from behind to win Pleasant Valley Golf Classic
- ↑ Maltbie serious about golf, but draws laughs
- ↑ Pleasant Valley is 'designated'
- ↑ Ray Floyd wins Pleasant Valley
- ↑ Mahaffey takes Pleasant Valley
- ↑ Sauers' Sweet Putt
- ↑ McCallister birdies his way from pack to Boston title
- ↑ Car crash, bad hole can't stop Steve Pate