Shawnee Open

The Shawnee Open was a golf tournament that was first held in 1912. It was played at The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort in Smithfield Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The course was completed in 1911, the first design by renowned architect A. W. Tillinghast.[1] The Shawnee Open was recognized as a PGA Tour event from 1916 to 1937. While no longer recognized as a PGA Tour event, there have been more than 60 Shawnee Opens played. It was sponsored by the Philadelphia section of the PGA of America.

In 1938, Shawnee hosted the PGA Championship and the Shawnee touring professional, Sam Snead, lost to Paul Runyan 8 and 7.[2] According to legend, Tommy Armour hit 10 straight balls out of bounds and scored the first ever "Archaeopteryx" (15 or more over-par) when he made a 23 on a par-5, for 18-over-par at the 1927 Shawnee Open. Many sources still claim that this represents the highest score on one hole in PGA history.[3] However, other research shows that he carded "only" an 11 on the 17th hole in the third round.[4]

  1. ^ "27 Hole Championship Golf Course". The Shawnee Inn And Golf Resort. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  2. ^ "The History of Golf at Shawnee". The Shawnee Inn And Golf Resort. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  3. ^ Barkow, Al (2012). Golf's All-Time Firsts, Mosts, Leasts, and a Few Nevers. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 75.
  4. ^ Nash, Bruce; Zullo, Allan (1989). The Golf Hall of Shame. Pocket Books. p. x. ISBN 978-0-671-68488-4.