The Venezuela Open or Abierto de Venezuela is a men's professional golf tournament. It has only been staged intermittently since 1957, 2019 being the 35th edition of the event. Al Geiberger, Art Wall Jr., David Graham, Roberto De Vicenzo and Tony Jacklin are past champions.

Venezuela Open
Tournament information
LocationCaracas, Venezuela
Established1957
Course(s)Guataparo Country Club
Par70
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Tour de las Américas
PGA Tour Latinoamérica Developmental Series
Caribbean Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$50,000
Month playedApril
Tournament record score
Aggregate263 Roberto De Vicenzo (1973)
To par−18 Iván Camilo Ramírez (2021)
Current champion
Venezuela Wolmer Murillo
Location map
Guataparo CC is located in Venezuela
Guataparo CC
Guataparo CC
Location in Venezuela

Since 2014, the Venezuela Open has been a fixture on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica Developmental Series. From 1979 to 2009 it made frequent appearances on the South American Tour, later known as the Tour de las Américas. Between 1961 and 1973 the tournament was a regular stop on the PGA-sponsored Caribbean Tour, when it was called the Caracas Open or Caracas Open Invitational.[1] The second event in 1957 was co-sponsored by the PGA.[2]

The event has generally been played at three venues in Caracas: Caracas Country Club, Valle Arriba Golf Club and Lagunita Country Club. In 1999 it was held at Izcaragua Country Club, a short distance east of Caracas while in 2000 it was played at Barquisimeto Golf Club near Barquisimeto.

Winners

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Year Tour[a] Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Venue Ref.
Abierto de Venezuela
2024   Wolmer Murillo 274 −6 Playoff   Julián Etulain Guataparo [3]
2023 PGATLADEV   Julián Etulain 272 −8 9 strokes   Toto Gana
  Santiago Quintero
Guataparo
Venezuela Open
2022 PGATLADEV   Virgilio Paz (a) 267 −13 7 strokes   Alfredo Adrián Guataparo
2021 PGATLADEV   Iván Camilo Ramírez 266 −18 4 strokes   Manuel Torres Caracas
2020: No tournament
2019 PGATLADEV   George Trujillo (2) 270 −14 1 stroke   Manuel Torres Caracas
2018 PGATLADEV   George Trujillo 279 −5 2 strokes   Miguel Martinez Caracas
2017: No tournament
2016 PGATLADEV   Denis Meneghini 278 −2 1 stroke   Otto Solís Valle Arriba
2015 PGATLADEV   Rafael Guerrero 277 −3 2 strokes   Alejandro Perazzo (a) Lagunita
2014 PGATLADEV   Diego Larrazábal 207 −3 Playoff[b]   Denis Meneghini
  Gustavo Morantes (a)
Lagunita
2010–2013: No tournament
2009 TLA   Daniel Barbetti 270 −10 2 strokes   Jesús Amaya
  Raúl Fretes
Lagunita
Canal i Abierto de Venezuela
2008 TLA   Ángel Romero (2) 273 −7 1 stroke   Diego Vanegas Lagunita
2007 TLA   Jesús Amaya (2) 268 −12 3 strokes   Fabián Gómez
  Sebastián Saavedra
Valle Arriba
Siemens Venezuela Open
2006 TLA   Fabián Gómez 265 −15 2 strokes   Miguel Guzmán Valle Arriba
2005 TLA   Miguel Rodríguez 269 −11 2 strokes   Jesús Amaya Lagunita
CANTV Venezuela Open
2004 TLA   Miguel Martinez 265 −15 1 stroke   Wilfredo Morales Valle Arriba
2003: No tournament
2002 TLA   Jesús Amaya 266 −14 4 strokes   Raúl Fretes Lagunita
Movilnet Venezuela Open
2001 TLA   Rafael Alarcón 268 −12 1 stroke   Alexandre Rocha Lagunita
Venezuela Open
2000   Rigoberto Velásquez 283 −1 1 stroke   Ángel Romero Barquisimeto
1999   Ángel Romero 279 −1 Izcaragua
1998   Gustavo Mendoza 268 −12 Lagunita
1986–1997: No tournament
1985   Ramón Muñoz 269 −11 Valle Arriba
1983–1984: No tournament
1982   Ronan Rafferty 272 −8 1 stroke   Lee Carter Lagunita [4]
1981   Jack Ferencz 267 −13 Playoff[c]   David Graham Valle Arriba [1]
1980: No tournament
1979   Tony Jacklin 276 −4 2 strokes   Manuel Piñero Lagunita [5]
1974–1978: No tournament
Caracas Open
1973 CAB   Roberto De Vicenzo (2) 272 −8 1 stroke   Vicente Fernández
  Peter Oosterhuis
Valle Arriba [6]
1972 CAB   Roberto De Vicenzo 263 −17 10 strokes   John Cook Valle Arriba [7]
1971 CAB   David Graham 272 −8 1 stroke   Tommy Bolt Valle Arriba [8]
1970: No tournament
1969   Peter Townsend 276 −4 Playoff[d]   Ramón Muñoz Valle Arriba [9]
1968 CAB   Bert Weaver 269 −11 1 stroke   Wes Ellis Valle Arriba [10]
1967 CAB   Rick Rhoads 276 −4 Playoff[e]   Alvie Thompson Valle Arriba [11]
1966 CAB   Art Wall Jr. (2) 276 −4 1 stroke   Wes Ellis
  Dean Refram
Valle Arriba [12]
1965
(Nov)
CAB   Al Besselink (3) 275 −5 1 stroke   Art Wall Jr. Valle Arriba [13]
1965
(Feb)
CAB   Al Besselink (2) 273 −7 3 strokes   Wes Ellis Valle Arriba [14]
1964 CAB   George Knudson 277 −3 3 strokes   Ramón Sota Valle Arriba [15]
1963 CAB   Art Wall Jr. 274 −6 2 strokes   George Knudson Valle Arriba [16]
1962 CAB   Al Geiberger 278 −2 1 stroke   Jacky Cupit Valle Arriba [17]
1961 CAB   Don Whitt 272 −8 8 strokes   Joe Moore Valle Arriba [18]
Venezuela Open
1958–1960: No tournament
1957
(Dec)
PGAT   Al Besselink 279 −1 Playoff[f]   Bob Rosburg Valle Arriba [19]
1957
(Feb)
  Flory Van Donck 277 −7 1 stroke   Joe Conrad
  Roberto De Vicenzo
Caracas [20]

Source:[21]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ CAB − Caribbean Tour; PGAT − PGA Tour; PGATLADEV − PGA Tour Latinoamérica Developmental Series; TLA − Tour de las Américas.
  2. ^ Larrazábal won on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff. Morantes was eliminated at the first hole.
  3. ^ Ferenz won with a par on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
  4. ^ Townsend won with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
  5. ^ Rhoads won with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
  6. ^ Besselink won with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.

References

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  1. ^ a b McCormack, Mark H. (1982). Dunhill World of Professional Golf 1982. Springwood Books. pp. 276–277, 511. ISBN 0862541018.
  2. ^ Husky, Bob (15 September 1957). "Off the fairway". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. p. 26. Retrieved 11 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Wolmer Murillo nuevo campeón en XXXIX Abierto de Venezuela" [Wolmer Murillo new champion at XXXIX Abierto de Venezuela]. Meridiano (in Spanish). 9 April 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Rafferty holds off challenge". The Glasgow Herald. Glasgow, Scotland. 30 November 1982. p. 20. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  5. ^ "Jacklin's Victory in Caracas". The Glasgow Herald. Glasgow, Scotland. 10 December 1979. p. 19. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  6. ^ "Oosterhuis Joint Second". The Glasgow Herald. Glasgow, Scotland. 13 February 1973. p. 5. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  7. ^ "De Vicenzo Cops Caracas Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AP. 7 February 1972. p. 26. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  8. ^ "Graham Wins Caracas Golf". The Spokesman-Review. AP. 6 February 1971. p. 11. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  9. ^ "Play-off to Townsend". The Canberra Times. Vol. 44, no. 12, 471. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 18 November 1969. p. 21. Retrieved 12 September 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Caracas Open Money Winners". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AP. 18 November 1968. p. 33. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  11. ^ "Rhoads winner: Caracas playoff". The Spokesman-Review. AP. 20 November 1967. p. 11. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  12. ^ "Wall Captures Caracas Open". Youngstown Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. AP. 14 November 1966. p. 15. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  13. ^ "Besselink Finds Putting Secret". The Gazette (Montreal). Montreal, Canada. AP. 22 November 1965. p. 29. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  14. ^ "Besselink Catches Ellis, Wins Caracas Open". The Gazette (Montreal). Montreal, Canada. AP. 1 March 1965. p. 32. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  15. ^ "Knudson Wins Open". The Gazette (Montreal). Montreal, Canada. AP. 24 February 1964. p. 19. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  16. ^ "Wall first In Caracas, Knudson Next". The Gazette (Montreal). Montreal, Canada. AP. 25 February 1963. p. 24. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  17. ^ "Geiberger Triumphs". Youngstown Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. AP. 26 February 1962. p. 14. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  18. ^ "Don Whitt Wins Caracas Open". The Gazette (Montreal). Montreal, Canada. UPI. 27 February 1961. p. 21. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  19. ^ "Al Besselink Wins In Caracas". Youngstown Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. AP. 2 December 1957. p. 21. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Google News Archive.
  20. ^ "Van Donck Rallies To Win Venezuela Golf Tournament". The Tampa Tribune. AP. 11 February 1957. p. 25. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Campeones del Abierto de Venezuela" (PDF). Federación Venezolana de Golf. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
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