Long Beach Open, PGA Tour Golf Tournament

The Long Beach Open was a golf tournament in California played on the PGA Tour in three distinct timeframes: In the late 1920s, early 1950s, and, for a final time, in 1957. Its roster of champions includes Hall of Famers.

First played: 1926

Last played: 1957

The Long Beach Open debuted in 1926 and ran for five years, then wasn't played again until 1949, when it ran for another three years. Finally, it was played for the last time with any PGA Tour affiliation in 1957 as part one of the tour's second-level circuit.

A Long Beach Open tournament is still played today in Long Beach, Calif., as part of the city's Long Beach Golf Festival. That tournament began in 1989, but has never had an affiliation with or sponsorship by the PGA Tour.

"Wild Bill" Mehlhorn was the original champ in 1926 and became the only two-time winner when he shared the title with Leo Diegel two years later. Hall of Famers who won the tournament include Diegel, Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan and Cary Middlecoff.

One more Hall of Famer who won it was Charlie Sifford in 1957 when the Long Beach Open was part of the PGA Satellite Tour (sort of equivalent to the later Nationwide/Korn Ferry Tour). Sifford's win happened four years before he became the first African-American member of the PGA Tour in 1961.

Also known as: Lakewood Park Open

Winners of the PGA Tour Long Beach Open

PGA Tour tournament:

1926 — Bill Mehlhorn
1927 — Tommy Armour
1928 (Jan.) — Leo Diegel and Bill Mehlhorn (tie)
1928 (Dec.) — Walter Hagen
1930 — Joe Kirkwood Sr. and Olin Dutra (tie)
1931–1948 — Not played
1949 — Ben Hogan
1950 — Fred Haas
1951 — Cary Middlecoff

Satellite Tour tournament:

1957 — Charlie Sifford

Golf courses: In the early part of the tournament's history, it was played at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach. In the second part of the tour's history, it was played at Lakewood Country Club in Long Beach.