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St. Jude Classic History and Past Winners
The St. Jude Classic has been played annually in the Memphis, Tennessee area since 1958. Originally called the Memphis Open, and then the Memphis Invitational, it changed its name starting in 1970 to the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic. As a condition for lending his name to the tournament, the Memphis organizers agreed to make the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital its principal charity. Although it no longer bears Thomas’ name, the tournament continues to support the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Danny Thomas (shown at left) was a popular nightclub entertainer and television star from the 1950s and 1960s, who is perhaps best known for his television sitcom “Make Room For Daddy”, aka “The Danny Thomas Show.” He is the father of actress Marlo Thomas.
In 1962, Thomas had founded the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The facility is world renowned for its treatment of childhood cancers. The facility’s founding was the result of a vow Thomas had made as a young actor—that if he found success he would open a hospital dedicated to S.t Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes. It’s a moving story:
More than 70 years ago, Danny Thomas, then a struggling young entertainer with a baby on the way, visited a Detroit church and was so moved during the Mass, he placed his last $7 in the collection box. When he realized what he’d done, Danny Thomas prayed for a way to pay the looming hospital bills. The next day, he was offered a small part that would pay 10 times the amount he’d given to the church. Danny Thomas had experienced the power of prayer.
Two years later, Danny Thomas had achieved moderate acting success in Detroit, but he was struggling to take his career to the next level. Once again, he turned to the church. Praying to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes, Danny Thomas asked the saint to “help me find my way in life, and I will build you a shrine.”
His career took a turn for the better, and soon he moved his family to Chicago to pursue career offers. A few years later, at another turning point in his life, Danny Thomas visited a church and remembered his pledge to St. Jude. Again he prayed to St. Jude and repeated his pledge to build a shrine to the saint if he would show him the way.
In the years that followed, Danny Thomas’ career flourished through films and television, and he became an internationally known entertainer. He remembered his pledge to build a shrine to St. Jude.
Memphis based FedEx was the tournament’s name sponsor from 1986 - 2005, before turning it over to Stanford Financial Group. Stanford ran into some financial and legal difficulties, however, and in 2009, FedEx stepped up again. This year, it’s the St. Jude Classic presented by Smith and Nephew.
The tournament originally was played at the Colonial Country Club in Memphis, then at a club in Cordova, Tennessee until 1989. It has been played at the TPC Southwind since 1989.
TPC Southwinds is a par 70 measuring 7,244 yards. The PGA Tour ranks it 20 out of 51 in difficulty. According to the Tour, the eighteenth is the course’s most difficult:
An excellent finishing hole that places a great demand off the tee. This dogleg left has water that comes into play on the first two shots, as well as fairway bunkers on the right. Spectator mounds surround the medium-sized green.
2009: 0 eagles, 49 birdies, 280 pars, 102 bogeys, 24 double bogeys, 5 others.
The winner of the tournament each year is given a blue and white seersucker jacket.
Al “Mr. 59” Greiberger shot his thirteen under par 59 at the “Danny Thomas St. Jude” in 1977. That same year, Gerald Ford, having just left office, hit a hole in one at the Celebrity Pro-Am.
A list of past winners of the St. Jude Classic follows:
| St. Jude Classic presented by FedEx | |
| 2010 | Lee Westwood |
| 2009 | Brian Gay |
| Stanford St. Jude Championship | |
| 2008 | Justin Leonard (playoff) |
| 2007 | Woody Austin |
| 2006 | Jeff Maggert |
| FedEx St. Jude Classic | |
| 2005 | Justin Leonard |
| 2004 | David Toms |
| 2003 | David Toms |
| 2002 | Len Mattiace |
| 2001 | Bob Estes |
| 2000 | Notah Begay III |
| 1999 | Ted Tryba |
| 1998 | Nick Price (playoff) |
| 1997 | Greg Norman |
| 1996 | John Cook |
| 1995 | Jim Gallagher Jr |
| Federal Express St. Jude Classic | |
| 1994 | Dicky Pride (playoff) |
| 1993 | Nick Price |
| 1992 | Jay Haas |
| 1991 | Fred Couples |
| 1990 | Tom Kite (playoff) |
| 1989 | John Mahaffey |
| 1988 | Jodie Mudd |
| 1987 | Curtis Strange |
| 1986 | Mike Hulbert |
| St. Jude Memphis Classic | |
| 1985 | Hal Sutton (playoff) |
| Danny Thomas Memphis Classic | |
| 1984 | Bob Eastwood |
| 1983 | Larry Mize |
| 1982 | Raymond Floyd |
| 1981 | Jerry Pate |
| 1980 | Lee Trevino |
| 1979 | Gil Morgan (playoff) |
| 1978 | Andy Bean (playoff) |
| 1977 | Al Geiberger |
| 1976 | Gibby Gilbert |
| 1975 | Gene Littler |
| 1974 | Gary Player |
| 1973 | Dave Hill |
| 1972 | Lee Trevino |
| 1971 | Lee Trevino |
| 1970 | Dave Hill |
| Memphis Open Invitational | |
| 1969 | Dave Hill |
| 1968 | Bob Lunn |
| 1967 | Dave Hill |
| 1966 | Bert Yancey |
| 1965 | Jack Nicklaus (playoff) |
| 1964 | Mike Souchak |
| 1963 | Tony Lema (playoff) |
| 1962 | Lionel Hebert (playoff) |
| 1961 | Cary Middlecoff |
| 1960 | Tommy Bolt (playoff) |
| Memphis Open | |
| 1959 | Don Whitt (playoff) |
| 1958 | Billy Maxwell |
| Memphis Invitational | |
| 1947-57 No tournament | |
| 1946 | Buck White |
| 1945 | Fred Haas (amateur) |
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Last year when Stanford went under, FedEx came back as a “presenting” sponsor instead of the title sponsor, which supposedly was less of a financial obligation - however, I wouldn’t be surprised if FedEx was spending easily as much as it was as when it was the title sponsor. From what I had heard in circles, there would be a problem if FedEx as the title sponsor of the Cup, also became a title sponsor of a tournament. I am guessing Finchem would somehow get over that. What else I had heard was that in the initial deal for the FedEx Cup there were guarantees that the SJC would not be going out of town or be folding up.
That last part I don’t know about now, because in last weekends paper there was an article which referenced how necessary it was to get a title sponsor to have the tournament continue. For this year, FedEx has dropped off again, and instead it is the St. Jude Classic presented by Smith & Nephew. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone said that FedEx still was providing a significant amount of funds though for the tournament, and if not FedEx itself, that some of the executives were.
When it was the Stanford, the talk was rampant that the tournament would be moving to Spring Creek Ranch, a Nicklaus Signature course with a very small private membership, but that Stanford had purchased 51%. Nobody knew how this would work though, because the course was not set up for galleries, and parking and traffic would be awful in that area. That is of course over with, after the Stanford crash, the original owner, who still retained 49% was able to buy back Stanfords share at a substantial discount from the courts. No more talk of the tournament there.
What I believe is more likely is that if Timberlake can either get Callaway and/or Sony to take over title sponsorship for the tournament with the intention of moving it from Southwind TPC to Timberlake’s Mirimichi course in North Memphis. Timberlake has not been silent on his desire to be having a tournament there, but most expect that he will do best trying to get a LGPA, Champions or Nationwide event. I am not sure about that, if he can wrangle a title sponsorship for the SJC, he might pull off getting the PGA there. While it would pull the event from a TPC venue, the involvement of Timberlake would help the draw and the viewership, and even if Callaway is not the title sponsor, Timberlake and Callaway might do fairly well in pulling the big name Callaway pros to town. (Timberlake and Callaway have close relationship and a partnership in Mirimichi).
Posted by martin on 06/08
For 2011, FedEx is the title sponsor again, and has signed to be so through at least 2014. There hasn’t been any talk of moving it lately, and since one of the FedEx companies is headquartered at TPC Southwind, there probably is zero talk behind the scenes as well. Timberlake’s Mirimichi, BTW, was just flooded out for the second time in two years, and has been closed for about a month now and not expected to fully reopen until early August.
Last year, the Memphis Golf Assc held one of the rounds for the Mid-Am at Southwind. I can confirm the 18th’s difficulty. I hadn’t expected to break 90 myself, but after starting the first six holes on the back 9 with four pars and two bogeys - I was hopeful. I went double, double on 16,17- and then got to 18, and with my +4 snowman, I finished 92 for the day. Still really good for me, a few of my buds who all have lower handicaps than I finished higher - but oh - 18. What a nightmare.
The drive went a little through the fairway, but the rough wasn’t so bad- but I did go right into a little treeline, but had an opening to the green. Third shot was on the first quarter of the green landing just short of the flag. - But the ball had too much momentum and as it rolled up the slope toward the hole, it started turning left and then came back down the slope - then trickled just off the green. And then it went down the side of the green and into the water. then chip and 3 putt to an 8.
Posted by martin on 06/06
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