The Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship. Regardless, many prominent players used it as a "tune-up" for the subsequent major.

For the event's first decade, the Buick Open Invitational was played at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Michigan. After 1969, professional golf events in the area fell off the PGA Tour schedule and a series of pro-ams and other similarly unofficial events took place, mostly at Flint Golf Club in Flint, Michigan.

Flint native, and PGA touring professional Larry Mancour had returned to Michigan to play in the Buick Open and stayed to build the Grand Blanc Golf Club. He then added nine holes at the Flint Elks Golf Club where he remained the professional for 20 years. He rescued the Buick Open when General Motors dropped sponsorship of the tournament. With local Buick dealers Mancour started the Little Buick Open in 1969. It drew players and fans and led to the rebirth of the Buick Open in 1977.

The Buick Open officially made its return to the PGA Tour in 1977 at the Flint Elks Club, and in 1978 the event returned to Warwick Hills G&CC, where it remained until its demise.

The Associated Press reported July 28, 2009, that General Motors would end its sponsorship of the Buick Open after the 2009 tournament, in order to devote its marketing resources to cars and trucks. The PGA Tour replaced the tournament with the Greenbrier Classic at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

As in the 1970s, a series of pro-ams and other unofficial events now take place in Grand Blanc, with the AJGA's Randy Wise Open taking place at Warwick Hills and most pro-ams and a golf festival at the Jewel of Grand Blanc (the former Grand Blanc Golf Club).

In 2014, an unrelated tournament with the same name was started in China. The event is played on PGA Tour China.

In 2018, the former General Motors financing arm, now Ally Bank, returned to Warwick Hills to sponsor a PGA Tour Champions event, The Ally Challenge. Jim Furyk (2003, 2020) and Vijay Singh (2004, 2005, 2023) have won both events.

Long hitters

In its final years, the tournament was dominated by long hitters. Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Brian Bateman, and Kenny Perry combined for eight wins in its final nine years. Several other players ranked highly in driving distance finished second during that span, including Woods, Jason Gore, Geoff Ogilvy, Bubba Watson, and John Daly.

Winners

YearTourWinnerScoreTo parMargin of victoryRunner(s)-upWinner's share ($)
Buick Open
2009PGATUnited States Tiger Woods (3)268−203 strokesAustralia Greg Chalmers Australia John Senden United States Roland Thatcher918,000
2008PGATUnited States Kenny Perry (2)269−191 strokeUnited States Woody Austin United States Bubba Watson900,000
2007PGATUnited States Brian Bateman273−151 strokeUnited States Woody Austin United States Jason Gore United States Justin Leonard882,000
2006PGATUnited States Tiger Woods (2)264−243 strokesUnited States Jim Furyk864,000
2005PGATFiji Vijay Singh (3)264−244 strokesUnited States Zach Johnson United States Tiger Woods828,000
2004PGATFiji Vijay Singh (2)265−231 strokeUnited States John Daly810,000
2003PGATUnited States Jim Furyk267−212 strokesUnited States Briny Baird United States Chris DiMarco Australia Geoff Ogilvy United States Tiger Woods720,000
2002PGATUnited States Tiger Woods271−174 strokesUnited States Fred Funk United States Brian Gay United States Mark O'Meara Mexico Esteban Toledo594,000
2001PGATUnited States Kenny Perry263−252 strokesUnited States Chris DiMarco United States Jim Furyk558,000
2000PGATUnited States Rocco Mediate268−201 strokeUnited States Chris Perry486,000
1999PGATUnited States Tom Pernice Jr.270−181 strokeUnited States Tom Lehman United States Ted Tryba United States Bob Tway432,000
1998PGATUnited States Billy Mayfair271−172 strokesUnited States Scott Verplank324,000
1997PGATFiji Vijay Singh273−154 strokesUnited States Tom Byrum United States Russ Cochran South Africa Ernie Els United States Brad Fabel Japan Naomichi Ozaki United States Curtis Strange270,000
1996PGATUnited States Justin Leonard266−225 strokesUnited States Chip Beck216,000
1995PGATUnited States Woody Austin270−18PlayoffUnited States Mike Brisky216,000
1994PGATUnited States Fred Couples270−182 strokesUnited States Corey Pavin198,000
1993PGATUnited States Larry Mize272−161 strokeUnited States Fuzzy Zoeller180,000
1992PGATUnited States Dan Forsman276−12PlayoffAustralia Steve Elkington United States Brad Faxon180,000
1991PGATUnited States Brad Faxon271−17PlayoffUnited States Chip Beck180,000
1990PGATUnited States Chip Beck272−161 strokeUnited States Mike Donald United States Hale Irwin United States Fuzzy Zoeller180,000
1989PGATUnited States Leonard Thompson273−151 strokeUnited States Billy Andrade United States Payne Stewart United States Doug Tewell180,000
1988PGATUnited States Scott Verplank268−202 strokesUnited States Doug Tewell126,000
1987PGATUnited States Robert Wrenn262−267 strokesUnited States Dan Pohl108,000
1986PGATUnited States Ben Crenshaw270−181 strokeUnited States J. C. Snead United States Doug Tewell90,000
1985PGATUnited States Ken Green268−204 strokesAustralia Wayne Grady81,000
1984PGATZimbabwe Denis Watson271−171 strokeUnited States Payne Stewart72,000
1983PGATUnited States Wayne Levi272−161 strokeJapan Isao Aoki United States Calvin Peete63,000
1982PGATUnited States Lanny Wadkins273−151 strokeUnited States Tom Kite63,000
1981PGATUnited States Hale Irwin277−11PlayoffUnited States Bobby Clampett United States Peter Jacobsen United States Gil Morgan63,000
Buick-Goodwrench Open
1980PGATUnited States Peter Jacobsen276−121 strokeUnited States Billy Kratzert United States Mark Lye45,000
1979PGATUnited States John Fought280−8PlayoffUnited States Jim Simons27,000
1978PGATAustralia Jack Newton280−8PlayoffUnited States Mike Sullivan20,000
Buick Open
1977PGATSouth Africa Bobby Cole271−171 strokeUnited States Fred Marti20,000
1976United States Ed Sabo279−9PlayoffUnited States Randy Erskine12,000
1975United States Spike Kelley208−81 strokeUnited States Randy Erskine United States Jim Marshall United States Mike McCullough4,200
Flint Elks Open
1974United States Bryan Abbott136−8PlayoffUnited States Joe Porter2,000
Lake Michigan Classic
1973Canada Wilf Homenuik215−1PlayoffUnited States Jim Ferriell3,200
Vern Parsell Buick Open
1972United States Gary Groh273−152 strokesUnited States John Mahaffey4,000
Buick Open Invitational
1970–1971: No tournament
1969PGATUnited States Dave Hill277−112 strokesUnited States Frank Beard25,000
1968PGATUnited States Tom Weiskopf280−81 strokeUnited States Mike Hill25,000
1967PGATUnited States Julius Boros (2)283−53 strokesUnited States Bob Goalby United States R. H. Sikes United States Bert Yancey20,000
1966PGATUnited States Phil Rodgers284−42 strokesUnited States Johnny Pott United States Kermit Zarley20,000
1965PGATUnited States Tony Lema (2)280−82 strokesUnited States Johnny Pott20,000
1964PGATUnited States Tony Lema277−111 strokeUnited States Dow Finsterwald8,000
1963PGATUnited States Julius Boros274−145 strokesUnited States Dow Finsterwald9,000
1962PGATUnited States Bill Collins284−41 strokeUnited States Dave Ragan9,000
1961PGATUnited States Jack Burke Jr.284−4PlayoffUnited States Billy Casper United States Johnny Pott9,000
1960PGATUnited States Mike Souchak282−61 strokeUnited States Gay Brewer United States Art Wall Jr.9,000
1959PGATUnited States Art Wall Jr.282−6PlayoffUnited States Dow Finsterwald9,000
1958PGATUnited States Billy Casper285−31 strokeUnited States Ted Kroll United States Arnold Palmer9,000

Notes

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