2011 Crowne Plaza Invitational

The Crowne Plaza Invitational is played every May, and it is one of four invitational tournaments held on the PGA Tour, and at 64 years is also the longest running PGA event still to be held at its original site.

Course: Colonial Country Club
Date: May 19-22, 2011
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
First year played: 1946
Purse: $6.2 million
Winning Share: $1,116,000
FedExCup Points: 500
Def Champ: Zach Johnson

2011 Crowne Plaza Invitational Odds

Colonial Country Club announced on July 25, 2006, that Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts had inked a six-year deal to be the title sponsor through 2012, thus replacing Bank of America, which decided not to renew its deal after four years of sponsorship including the tournament’s 60th anniversary of play that May. The 2009 purse was $6,200,000, with $1,116,000 going to winner Steve Stricker.

Founded by the Colonial National Invitation Tournament in 1946, the event is known for honoring the history of golf by its use of an official Scottish tartan plaid jacket. The jacket is worn by its champions and top committee chairmen. Yet another tradition adding to Colonial history is the beautiful Wall of Champions on the first tee. Engraved with the name and score of each champion dating back to the 1941 U.S. Open, the marble display casts homage over the start of any player’s round.

The Colonial Golf Tournament has a long and distinguished list of champions. Winners of the Colonial include: Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Billy Casper, Lee Trevino, Ben Crenshaw, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Phil Mickleson. In fact Hogan, Casper and Crenshaw were some of the multiple time winners of this distinguished tournament.

Crowne Plaza Invitational Winners

2010 Crowne Plaza Invitational Winner

Zach Johnson now has a plaid jacket to go along with his green one, after an extended wait before slipping on his prize at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

Johnson won at Hogan’s Alley with a tournament record 21-under 259, sealing his victory with a pair of birdies in the short span of play in between two late weather delays Sunday.

When Johnson drained a 14-foot birdie putt at the 17th hole to take a two-stroke lead over Brian Davis, he had a wide smile on his face and emphatically pumped his fist.

Steve Stricker

2009 Crowne Plaza Invitational Winner

Stricker stayed at it, though. A chip-in birdie on 17 helped him get in a three-man playoff. Then, lucky to be playing a second extra hole, he put his approach just 3 feet from the cup and knocked it right in to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational.

Stricker, who earned $1,116,000, led after two rounds with a 36-hole tournament record of 126. He moved back ahead with birdies on Nos. 5 and 6 on Sunday, then followed with consecutive bogeys. When he missed a 4-footer on No. 16, Stricker seemed out of contention. His chances looked even worse when he was in fluffy grass behind the 17th green.