Memphis Open Invitational
| Location | Memphis, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Established | 1958, 59 years ago |
| Course(s) |
TPC Southwind (1989–present) |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 7,244 yards (6,624 m) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | $6.2 million |
| Month played | June |
| Aggregate | 258 John Cook (1996) |
| To par | −26 John Cook (1996) |
 Daniel Berger
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The FedEx St. Jude Classic is a professional golf tournament in Memphis, Tennessee, a regular event on the PGA Tour. It has been held annually since 1958, and is currently played in June at TPC Southwind, its home since 1989.
The tournament debuted 59 years ago in May 1958 as the Memphis Open and was played annually at Colonial Country Club in Memphis through 1971, then at the club's new home in Cordova through 1988. The late Vernon Bell, a Memphis restaurateur, co-founded the tournament and served as the tournament's general chairman for 22 years. He is also the father of the late Chris Bell.
In 1969, entertainer Danny Thomas (1912–1991) agreed to lend his name to the tournament in exchange for his St. Jude Children's Research Hospital becoming the tournament's charity. Accordingly, the tournament changed its name the next year to the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic.
In 1977, President Gerald Ford, who had left office in January, made a hole-in-one during the tournament's celebrity pro-am while playing with Thomas and Ben Crenshaw. Two days later, Al Geiberger shot a PGA Tour record 59 (−13) in the second round with eleven birdies and an eagle. He needed a rally on Sunday to win by three strokes at 273 (–15).
In 1986, Federal Express became the title sponsor. For the first three years of their sponsorship, FedEx increased the purse one dollar for each package they shipped on the Friday of the tournament. The purses went from $500,000 to $605,912 in 1986, from $600,000 to $724,043 in 1987, and from $750,000 to $953,842 in 1988.
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