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The Boeing Classic is a professional golf tournament in Washington on the PGA Tour Champions, founded 19 years ago in 2005. The 54-hole event is played annually in late August in Snoqualmie, east of Seattle. It was titled the "Boeing Greater Seattle Classic" for its first two years and Boeing is the main sponsor.

History

The Seattle area's previous senior tour event, the GTE Northwest Classic, ran from 1986 through 1995. The first edition was at Sahalee Country Club and the remainder were at Inglewood Golf Club in Kenmore.

Since its inception in 2005, the Boeing Classic has been held at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, a private course designed by Jack Nicklaus which opened for play 25 years ago in 1999 as TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. The course is 25 miles (40 km) east of Seattle at the foothills of the Cascade Range, and varies in elevation from 575 to 870 feet (175 to 265 m) above sea level, with the 18th green at 745 feet (227 m).[1]

From 2007 to 2010, the tournament was played the week following the JELD-WEN Tradition, a senior major championship played in Sunriver, Oregon. For its first two years, the tournament immediately preceded The Tradition, which was then played at The Reserve near Portland. The Tradition moved to Alabama in 2011 and is played in May.

The purse for the 2007 tournament was $1.6 million, with $240,000 to the champion, Denis Watson, the winner of a playoff. The seven-man, sudden death playoff was the largest in tour history, with the seven finishing the 54 holes at 207 (−9). The tournament concluded when Watson sunk an eagle putt on the second playoff hole, a second replay of the par-5 18th hole.[2]

The purse for 2008 was $1.7 million, with a winner's share of $255,000. The par-72 course was set at 7,183 yards (6,568 m). Tom Kite shot a final round 66 to finish at 202 (−14), two strokes ahead of second round leader Scott Simpson . Kite was the only player in the field to break 70 in all three rounds and became the first repeat winner of the event.[3] Kite won the tournament in 2006 in a one-hole playoff over Keith Fergus, and was the runner-up in 2005, finishing three strokes behind David Eger. [4]

The 2009 tournament was held on August 28–30 with a $1.8 million purse. Second-round co-leader Loren Roberts birdied the final two holes and outlasted Mark O'Meara by nearly matching his sterling tee shot at 17 and dribbled in a five-foot (1.5 m) birdie putt. Roberts birdied the uphill par-5 final hole with a short pitch shot to 3 feet (0.9 m) and dropped the putt for his third victory of the season. Roberts shot a 7-under 65 in the final round and set a new tournament record at 198 (–18).[5]

In 2010, the U.S. Senior Open was held at Sahalee Country Club in nearby Sammamish, and won by Bernhard Langer with a final score of 272 (−8). The Boeing Classic was held four weeks after on August 27–29, also won by Langer by three strokes over Nick Price of Zimbabwe. Langer tied the record set the previous year by Roberts at 198.[6]

The purse was raised to an even $2 million in 2011, with a winner's share of $300,000. Half of the first twelve editions ended in playoffs.

Course layout

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Yards 554 410 439 426 475 207 375 529 207 3,622 353 462 426 210 431 590 380 211 498 3,561 7,183
Par 5 4 4 4 4 3 4 5 3 36 4 4 4 3 4 5 4 3 5 36 72

Winners

Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Purse
(US$)
Winner's
share ($)
Boeing Classic
2023 Canada Stephen Ames 197 −19 7 strokes Spain Miguel Ángel Jiménez 2,200,000 330,000
2022 Spain Miguel Ángel Jiménez 201 −15 2 strokes Australia David McKenzie 2,200,000 330,000
2021 Australia Rod Pampling 204 −12 1 stroke United States Jim Furyk
United States Tim Herron
United States Billy Mayfair
2,100,000 315,000
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019 United States Brandt Jobe 198 −18 3 strokes United States Tom Pernice Jr. 2,100,000 315,000
2018 United States Scott Parel 198 −18 3 strokes United States Kevin Sutherland 2,100,000 315,000
2017 United States Jerry Kelly 197 −19 1 stroke United States Jerry Smith 2,100,000 315,000
2016 Germany Bernhard Langer (2) 203 −13 Playoff United States Woody Austin
United States Kevin Sutherland
2,000,000 300,000
2015 United States Billy Andrade 207 −9 1 stroke Germany Bernhard Langer 2,000,000 300,000
2014 United States Scott Dunlap 200 −16 Playoff United States Mark Brooks 2,000,000 300,000
2013 United States John Riegger 201 −15 2 strokes United States John Cook 2,000,000 300,000
2012 United States Jay Don Blake 206 −10 Playoff United States Mark O'Meara 2,000,000 300,000
2011 United States Mark Calcavecchia 202 −14 Playoff United States Russ Cochran 2,000,000 300,000
2010 Germany Bernhard Langer 198 −18 3 strokes Zimbabwe Nick Price 1,800,000 270,000
2009 United States Loren Roberts 198 −18 1 stroke United States Mark O'Meara 1,800,000 270,000
2008 United States Tom Kite (2) 202 −14 2 strokes United States Scott Simpson 1,700,000 255,000
2007 Zimbabwe Denis Watson 207 −9 Playoff United States R. W. Eaks
United States David Eger
United States Gil Morgan
Japan Naomichi Ozaki
United States Dana Quigley
United States Craig Stadler
1,600,000 240,000
Boeing Greater Seattle Classic
2006 United States Tom Kite 201 −15 Playoff United States Keith Fergus 1,600,000 240,000
2005 United States David Eger 199 −17 3 strokes United States Tom Kite 1,600,000 240,000

Multiple winners

Two players have won this tournament more than once through 2023.

Video

  • YouTube − video highlights − 2006−2011

References

  1. ^ "Fast facts". TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  2. ^ Booth, Tim (August 26, 2007). "Denis Watson wins record 7-man playoff to take Boeing Classic". Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  3. ^ Smith, Craig (August 25, 2008). "Tom Kite rallies, relishes that winning feeling at Boeing Classic". Seattle Times. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  4. ^ Smith, Craig (August 22, 2005). "A one-man band: David Eger wins Greater Seattle event". Seattle Times. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  5. ^ "Past Champions". Boeing Classic. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  6. ^ Smith, Craig (August 29, 2010). "Bernhard Langer wins Boeing Classic". Seattle Times. Retrieved July 28, 2015.

External links

47°32′06″N 121°51′36″W / 47.535°N 121.860°W / 47.535; -121.860