Southwest Golf Classic

Gatlin Brothers-Southwest Golf Classic
Tournament information
Location	Abilene, Texas
Established	1981
Course(s)	Fairway Oaks Golf Club
Par	72
Length	7,166 yards (6,553 m)
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$400,000
Month played	October
Final year	1988
Tournament record score
Aggregate	269 Mark Brooks (1988); 269 Tom Purtzer (1988)
To par	−19 as above
Final champion
	Tom Purtzer
Location map
	Fairway Oaks GC Location in the United States Fairway Oaks GC Location in Texas

The Southwest Golf Classic was a PGA Tour event played at Fairway Oaks Golf & Racquet Club in Abilene, Texas, from 1981 to 1988 (the facility was later renamed Fairway Oaks Country Club and is now a part of Abilene Country Club).

The event had been known as the LaJet Classic when it began in 1981 and again in 1982. In 1983, the event was known as the LaJet Coors Classic and in 1984 it was known as the LaJet Golf Classic. From 1985 to 1987 it was known as the Southwest Golf Classic. In 1988, the tournament event was hosted by Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, and was known as the Gatlin Brothers-Southwest Golf Classic.

In 1989, the event became a Senior PGA Tour event, and was renamed the Gatlin Brothers Southwest Senior Classic.

Tournament highlights

1981: Tom Weiskopf wins the inaugural version of the tournament. He finishes two shots ahead of Gil Morgan.^[1]
1982: Wayne Levi shoots a first round 64 on his way to a wire to wire victory by six shots over Thomas Gray.^[2] Raymond Floyd, who was engaged in a tight battle with Craig Stadler for that year's leading spot on the money list, left Abilene after shooting 146 for the first 36 holes thinking he would miss the cut. By the time Floyd learned he had not missed the cut, he had already returned to his home in Florida. Unable to make airline connections to meet his Saturday tee time, Floyd was forced to withdraw.^[3]
1986: Future 13-time winner and 1989 Open Champion Mark Calcavecchia notches his first PGA Tour title. He finishes three shots ahead of Tom Byrum.^[4]
1988: Tom Purtzer wins the last version of the tournament. He shoots a final round 64 before defeating Mark Brooks on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.^[5]

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
Gatlin Brothers-Southwest Golf Classic
1988	Tom Purtzer	269	−19	Playoff	Mark Brooks
Southwest Golf Classic
1987	Steve Pate	273	−15	1 stroke	Bob Eastwood David Edwards Dan Halldorson Mark O'Meara
1986	Mark Calcavecchia	275	−13	3 strokes	Tom Byrum
1985	Hal Sutton	273	−15	Playoff	Mike Reid
LaJet Golf Classic
1984	Curtis Strange	273	−15	2 strokes	Mark O'Meara
LaJet Coors Classic
1983	Rex Caldwell	282	−6	1 stroke	Lee Trevino
LaJet Classic
1982	Wayne Levi	271	−17	6 strokes	Thomas Gray
1981	Tom Weiskopf	278	−10	2 strokes	Gil Morgan