Los Angeles Open

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History

Prior to World War II, the event led a nomadic existence in southern California, moving from course to course. The inaugural event 91 years ago in 1926 was played at Los Angeles Country Club in Los Angeles; in 1927 the event moved to El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana for the only time. In 1928, the event moved again to Wilshire Country Club, also in Los Angeles, and 1929 and 1930 saw the event's first foray to Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades before returning again to Los Angeles for the next decade. From 1931–33, the event alternated between Wilshire CC and Hillcrest Country Club, before returning to Los Angeles CC from 1934–36. From 1937–39, the event was played at Griffith Park before returning to Los Angeles CC in 1940. Babe Zaharias played in the 1938 event, being the first woman to play in a professional golf tournament for men.

In 1941, the event returned to Riviera CC and in 1942 was played again at Hillcrest CC before World War II intervened.

The event started up again in 1944 at Wilshire CC before spending the next nine years (1945–53) at Riviera CC, which also hosted the U.S. Open in June 1948, won by Ben Hogan in a record score. In 1954, the event was played at Fox Hills Country Club (now in Culver City) and in 1955 moved to Inglewood Country Club. From 1956–72, the event returned to Los Angeles at Rancho Park Golf Course, with the exception of 1968, which was at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena, adjacent to the Rose Bowl.

The L.A. Open was traditionally the first event of the season, played in early January; it moved to the latter half of February in 1974. The year before, it began its current relationship with Riviera CC. The tournament has only twice been played at other courses since: Rancho Park Golf Course in 1983, while Riviera prepared to host the PGA Championship, and Valencia Country Club in 1998, while Riviera prepared to host the U.S. Senior Open. The event remained at Riviera in 1995, despite Riviera hosting the PGA Championship that year, and will also remain in 2017, when the course hosts the U.S. Amateur.

In 1992, the Nissan Los Angeles Open at Riviera CC was the site of Tiger Woods' first PGA Tour event as an amateur player, as a 16-year-old high school sophomore. Neither Woods nor Jack Nicklaus have won the event; Woods lost in a playoff in 1998 (at Valencia) and was again a runner-up the next year at Riviera, while Nicklaus' best finish was two strokes back in solo second in 1978.

The 2001 event was only the second time that a six-player playoff was needed in PGA Tour history to determine the tournament winner. Robert Allenby won the playoff ahead of Toshi Izawa, Brandel Chamblee, Bob Tway, Jeff Sluman, and Dennis Paulson.

In 2005, the tournament was shortened by 36 holes due to rain. Adam Scott defeated Chad Campbell on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff on a Monday. Due to the event's length, this win is counted as unofficial for Scott.

In 2007, Rich Beem made a hole-in-one at the 14th hole on Saturday to win a new red Altima coupe, which he immediately ascended, embraced, and sat atop of in triumph. The sequence was later made into a Nissan commercial. (video) Beem credited Peter Jacobsen for inspiring his reaction; Jacobsen aced the same hole thirteen years earlier in 1994 then hopped into the nearby 300ZX convertible and pretended to drive it.

In September 2007, it was originally announced that Bearing Point, a consulting firm based in McLean Virginia, would become the new title sponsor of the tournament. However, on October 15, 2007, Northern Trust became the title sponsor beginning in February 2008.

The five-year agreement, which extended through the 2012 event, was announced October 15, 2007, by PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and William A. Osborn, Chairman and CEO of Northern Trust Corporation. The tournament is currently known as the Northern Trust Open, and the new partnership marks the beginning of a process of transformation for this high-profile tournament. As part of the initial move to enhance the tournament, the Northern Trust Open increased its purse to $6.2 million in 2008, an increase of $1 million over 2007. Additionally, the tournament pro-am will go from four amateurs to three per group. After the initial 5-year agreement, it was extended 4 years to cover Northern Trust's partnership through the 2016 event.

Phil Mickelson won the 2008 tournament and successfully defended the title in 2009 with a 1-stroke victory over Steve Stricker. In 2010, Stricker came back to win the Northern Trust Open and secure his ranking of the number two player in the world. In 2016, Bubba Watson won the tournament for a second time in three years, seeing off Adam Scott and Jason Kokrak to win by one shot with a 15-under-par total.

Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption

In 2009, the tournament created an exemption for a player who represents the advancement of diversity in golf. The exemption is called the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption, in honor of pioneering black golfer and 1969 tournament winner Charlie Sifford. While most of the recipients have been of African-American descent, the 2015 exemption went to PGA Tour rookie Carlos Sainz, Jr., of Filipino and Bolivian descent; and the 2016 recipient, J. J. Spaun, is also of Filipino descent.

2016 course layout

Source:

Winners

*Rain-shortened to 54 holes
^Rain-shortened to 36 holes; unofficial win
Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Main sources

Multiple winners

Sixteen men have won this tournament more than once through 2016.