Crowne Plaza Invitational Tickets

Last year, at the Crowne Plaza, Steve Stricker overcame the season's prior losses, some of which had been heartbreaking. Stricker made his sixth top-ten placement in the standings. A very close sudden-death playoff later, Mr. Stricker was the champion of the Crowne Plaza Invitational.

The Crowne Plaza is a golf tourney that demands a strong 'close-out.' The birdie possibilities, when in a field of good golfers, make pars seem like bogies. The competition demands a solid finish. Clark did not accomplish it last year, and hopes to pull through in this year's battle, which is being held in Fort Worth, Texas. The Colonial Country Club will host the event, May 27 through May 30. The purse is expected to be $6,000,000.

This is the fourth Invitational in Fort Worth for the Crowne since taking over sponsorship from Bank of America. The official name of this regular PGA tournament is Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Stricker, Mickelson, and Sabbatini are its most recent champions. The history of the Invitational goes back to 1946. Ben Hogan was its first champion. Today, the Colonial is known for its 'Champion's Choice' invitations. The event's last champ selects two deserving (but not qualifying) younger players to join the field. The ability to choose two unsuspecting rookies for eligibility in a major PGA event is a nice perk and fun aspect for the returning champion. No doubt Clark wishes he were doing just that this year. Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange, and Davis Love made their first appearances that way. And David Stockton actually won as a 'Champions Choice' in 1967, the only man to do so.

But just as exciting to last year's tournament was how his opponent Tim Clark let the victory slip away. Cracking through a two-stroke lead, Clark could not catch a break. It was not like he was playing poor golf, maybe better than average. At one point, a great playoff approach shot nailed the pin, but in doing so skipped twenty feet down the green. He could not catch a break. Meanwhile Stricker was getting the soft rolls and dropping putts.