The International (golf)

The International
Tournament information
LocationCastle Rock, Colorado
Established1986
Course(s)Castle Pines Golf Club
Par72
Length7,619 yards (6,967 m)[1]
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatModified Stableford[2]
Prize fundUS$5,500,000
Month playedAugust
Final year2006
Tournament record score
Score48 points Phil Mickelson (1997)
48 points Ernie Els (2000)
Final champion
United States Dean Wilson
Location map
Castle Pines GC is located in the United States
Castle Pines GC
Castle Pines GC
Location in the United States
Castle Pines GC is located in Colorado
Castle Pines GC
Castle Pines GC
Location in Colorado

The International (styled as The INTERNATIONAL) was a professional golf tournament in Colorado on the PGA Tour. It was played for 21 seasons, from 1986 through 2006, at the Castle Pines Golf Club at Castle Pines Village in Castle Rock, south of Denver.

It had the distinction of being one of two PGA Tour events not conducted at traditional stroke play, the only other exception is the match-play event, the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. The International was the only tournament to use the Modified Stableford scoring system,[3][2] enacted because of the significant elevation of the venue, which averages 6,300 feet (1,920 m) above sea level.

Beginning in 2007, the International was scheduled to change dates to be played during the first full weekend of July (July 5–8, and July 4–7, 2008), midway between the U.S. Open and the British Open. Tournament officials hoped this new date would draw even more top-ranked players, such as Tiger Woods, as it would no longer be contested the week before (or after) the year's final major (PGA Championship). Even with the change in dates, both tournament founder Jack A. Vickers and the membership of the club were apparently not happy with the overall direction the PGA Tour was taking.[4][5]

On February 8, 2007, the PGA Tour announced the permanent cancellation of the International.[6][7][8][3][9] It was replaced by the AT&T National, hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation, and held in the Washington, D.C. area; near sea level and at standard stroke play.

The Modified Stableford scoring system returned to the PGA Tour in 2012 at the Reno–Tahoe Open, also at high elevation.

  1. ^ Fineran, John (August 8, 2006). "Differences make International unique". PGA Tour. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Modified Stableford points system". PGA Tour. August 7, 2006. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "PGA Tour". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). August 14, 2006. p. D4.
  4. ^ Paige, Woody (January 17, 2007). "Vickers' tourney, pro tour at odds". The Denver Post. Retrieved January 17, 2007.
  5. ^ Hawkins, John (February 6, 2007). "Last Stop For the International". Golf Digest. Archived from the original on February 22, 2007. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
  6. ^ "Mile High Disappointment: International Event No More". Golf Channel. Associated Press. February 8, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2007.
  7. ^ "PGA drops tourney". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). wire services. February 8, 2007. p. C2.
  8. ^ "Wilson tops Lehman at International". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 14, 2006. p. C2.
  9. ^ Schuchmann, Joel (August 13, 2006). "Notes: Wilson wins first International playoff in ten years". PGA Tour. Retrieved July 9, 2012.

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