| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Established | 1945 |
| Course(s) | Indian Canyon Golf Course |
| Par | 70 - (1947) 72 - (1945) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play - 72 holes |
| Prize fund | $10,000 |
| Month played | August (1947) September (1945) |
| Final year | 1947 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 266 Byron Nelson (1945) |
| To par | –22 Byron Nelson (1945) |
| Final champion | |
 Herman Keiser | |
The Esmeralda Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour that was played in 1945 and 1947 in Spokane, Washington. It was held at Indian Canyon Golf Course, a municipal facility designed in 1930 by Chandler Egan[1][2] on the west end of the city, and opened in 1935.[3] The Esmeralda Open was organized by the Spokane Athletic Round Table, a fraternal organization, headed by Joe Albi. The ART's emblem was a laughing horse named Esmeralda, which inspired the title of the charity tournament.[4][5] The Round Table would later be instrumental in the construction of the city's Esmeralda Golf Course, opened in 1956 in northeast Spokane.[6] It also was the driving force behind Spokane Memorial Stadium, named for Albi in 1962.
The Esmeralda Open was held annually for over a decade, but most editions featured local and regional golfers, and was not part of the PGA Tour. The first in 1943 was a 54-hole event played at Downriver,[7] and the 1949 tournament included Bing Crosby,[8] who was raised in Spokane. It was not held in 1944, when the 1944 PGA Championship was played at Manito Golf and Country Club in south Spokane.[9][10] In 1946, Spokane and the ART hosted the first U.S. Women's Open at the Spokane Country Club, north of the city.[11] An attempt was made to have the PGA Tour return in 1954,[12] but was unsuccessful.[13]
The second Esmeralda Open, and the first as a tour event, was held in September 1945. It was won by Byron Nelson by seven strokes over runner-up Harold "Jug" McSpaden, followed by Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. Nelson shot a 64 (–8) in the final round for a 266, an unofficial tour record at the time of 22-under par.[14] His winner's share of the $10,000 event was $1,500 in cash and $2,000 in war bonds.[15]
It was Nelson's sixteenth victory of 18 during his record-setting year.[16] Several course records were established at the 1945 tournament. McSpaden shot a course-record 30 on his final front nine and Snead shot a final-round 63 (–9) to set another course record.[15][16]
For the 1947 event, par was changed to 70 and the tournament was played in early August. Herman Keiser shot a one-under 69 on Sunday to finish at 273 (–7), one stroke ahead of three runners-up: Ben Hogan, Ed Furgol, and Johnny Palmer. Hogan electrified the gallery with an ace at the 161-yard (147 m) fourth hole in the final round.[17] He shot a 68, but missed a putt for par from less than 2 feet (60 cm) on the final hole that would have tied Keiser.[18]
| Year | Dates | Champion | Winning score |
To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up | Purse ($) |
Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Sep 20–23 | Byron Nelson |
66-66-70-64=266 | –22 | 7 strokes | Harold McSpaden |
10,000 | 1,500 (& $2,000 war bond) |
| 1947 | Aug 7–10 | Herman Keiser |
65-69-70-69=273 | –7 | 1 stroke | Ben Hogan Ed Furgol Johnny Palmer |
10,000 | 2,000 |
47°38′49″N 117°28′26″W / 47.647°N 117.474°W / 47.647; -117.474
