Fred Meyer Challenge

Fred Meyer Challenge

Tournament information
Location	Portland metropolitan area
Established	1986
Course(s)	Portland Golf Club (1986–91) The Oregon Golf Club (1992–97) The Reserve (1998–2002)
Format	Best ball
Prize fund	$180,000
Final year	2002
Final champion
Brian Henninger and Scott McCarron

The Fred Meyer Challenge was a charity golf tournament played in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Held from 1986 to 2002, it was organized by Portland native and PGA Tour golfer Peter Jacobsen and sponsored by the then locally owned hypermarket chain Fred Meyer.^[1][2][3] The field included active and retired PGA Tour players. It was always played as a two-man team best ball event. In its inaugural year, it was played as in a match play format, with four teams competing. For the rest of its tenure, it was played in a stroke play format, with 8 to 12 teams competing.

History

From 1986 to 1997, the winning team split a $100,000 first prize. In 1998, this increased to $150,000 and in 2000 to $180,000. After Fred Meyer was acquired by Kroger, it discontinued sponsorship of the event and the tournament was also discontinued.^[3][4] Jacobson then brought The Tradition to Oregon starting in 2003, where it stayed through 2010.^[5] In 2011, Jacobson's Peter Jacobsen Sports tried to revive the challenge tournament with the Umpqua Bank Challenge, which drew 15,000 to the Portland Golf Club for the 2011 tournament and 10,000 spectators to the 2012 edition at The Reserve.^[4][5] In October 2012, Jacobson announced there would not be a tournament in 2013, and that the 2012 tournament may have been the last one.^[5]

Tournament hosts

Years	Venue	Location
1986–1991	Portland Golf Club	Portland, Oregon
1992–1997	The Oregon Golf Club	West Linn, Oregon
1998–2002	The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club	Aloha, Oregon

Winners

Year	Winners	Score	Ref
2002	Brian Henninger and Scott McCarron	122 (−22)	[6]
2001	Billy Andrade and Brad Faxon	120 (−24)	[7]
2000	John Cook and Mark O'Meara	125 (−19)	[8]
1999	Billy Andrade and Brad Faxon	122 (−22)	[9]
1998	David Duval and Jim Furyk	126 (−18)	[10]
1997	Brad Faxon and Greg Norman	123 (−19)	[11]
1996	Brad Faxon and Greg Norman	124 (−18)	[12]
1995	Brad Faxon and Greg Norman	129 (−13)	[13]
1994	John Cook and Mark O'Meara	125 (−17)	[14]
1993	Steve Elkington and Tom Purtzer	126 (−16)	[15]
1992	Billy Andrade and Tom Kite	128 (−16)	[16]
1991	Paul Azinger and Ben Crenshaw	125 (−19)	[17]
1990	Bobby Wadkins and Lanny Wadkins	122 (−22)	[18]
1989	Joey Sindelar and Craig Stadler	125 (−19)	[19]
1988	Paul Azinger and Bob Tway	125 (−19)	[20]
1987	Isao Aoki and Payne Stewart	127 (−17)	[21]
1986	Peter Jacobsen and Curtis Strange Greg Norman and Gary Player	Tie	[22]

Multiple winners

As a team

• 3 wins
  • Brad Faxon and Greg Norman: 1995, 1996, 1997
• 2 wins
  • John Cook and Mark O'Meara: 1994, 2000
  • Billy Andrade and Brad Faxon: 1999, 2001

As an individual

• 5 wins
  • Brad Faxon: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001
• 4 wins
  • Greg Norman: 1986, 1995, 1996, 1997
• 3 wins
  • Billy Andrade: 1992, 1999, 2001
• 2 wins
  • Paul Azinger: 1988, 1991
  • John Cook: 1994, 2000
  • Mark O'Meara: 1994, 2000

References

1. "Jacobsen's big party". Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. August 18, 1986. p. 2B. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
2. "Jacobsen takes whole Challenge". Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. December 22, 1988. p. 4B. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
3. "Portland, Ore.-Based Grocery Chain Pulls Sponsorship of Charity Golf Event". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. August 28, 2002. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
4. "Peter Jacobsen tries to recapture Portland-area golfing magic with Umpqua Bank Challenge". The Oregonian. August 27, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
5. Tokito, Mike (October 15, 2012). "Umpqua Bank Challenge goes on 2013 hiatus as Peter Jacobsen re-evaluates event". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
6. "Duo wins best-ball Challenge by two strokes". ESPN. August 7, 2002.
7. "Fred Meyer Challenge - Results". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. August 8, 2001. p. D7.
8. "Winners get playoff payoff". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. August 9, 2000. pp. 1E,3E.
9. "Andrade, Faxon put field away". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. August 25, 1999. pp. 1B,3B,5B.
10. "Furyk, Duval roll to victory". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. August 26, 1998. pp. 1B,2B,5B.
11. "Norman, Faxon defend Meyer Challenge crown". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio. August 6, 1997. p. 27.
12. "It's a Faxon-Norman encore". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. August 21, 1996. pp. 1B,2B.
13. "Faxon-Norman team goes into a playoff to win Fred Meyer". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. August 23, 1995. pp. C2,C5.
14. "O'Meara, Cook gain title". The Victoria Advocate. Victoria, Texas. August 24, 1994. pp. 2B,3B.
15. "Elkington, Purtzer win Meyer". Rome News-Tribune. Rome, Georgia. August 25, 1993. pp. 2B,5B.
16. "Kite and Andrade: They are up to the Challenge". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. August 26, 1992. pp. 1C,8C.
17. "Azinger, Crenshaw win Fred Meyer Challenge". The Gainesville Sun. Gainesville, Florida. August 21, 1991. p. 4C.
18. "Wadkins brothers capture rainy Fred Meyer Challenge". Spokane Chronicle. Spokane, Washington. August 22, 1990. pp. D3,D4.
19. "Stadler, Sindelar rule the roost". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. August 23, 1989. pp. 1B,4B.
20. "Birdie putts hand Challenge crown to Azinger, Tway". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. August 24, 1988. pp. 1C,5C.
21. "Stewart team wins challenge". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. August 18, 1987. p. D3.
22. "Challenge a draw". Rome News-Tribune. Rome, Georgia. August 20, 1986. p. 6B.