The Blaisdell Pro Am Invitational returns to the Pennhills Club on July 27 – this year with a $10,000 increase in prize money, cementing the Blaisdell Invitational as the most substantial tournament payout in the region.
Sponsored by Zippo in memory of Zippo founder George G. Blaisdell, the Blaisdell Pro Am brings together 30 PGA pros and 90 local amateurs to compete for $30,000 in prize money. The invitational is part of the tournament schedule for the Western New York Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America.
Blaisdell was an avid golfer and strong supporter of the Pennhills Club. Both saw their achievements realized in the late 1930s: Blaisdell with the invention and success of his windproof lighter, and the Pennhills Club with the completion of the grounds.
The Pennhills golf course and clubhouse had the benefit of being designed by top names of the day.
Famed amateur golfer, golf writer and course architect Walter Travis designed a full 18 holes for Pennhills, and was also responsible for the Golf Digest and Golf Magazine award-winning courses at Garden City Golf Club in Garden City, New York, and Ekwanok Country Club in Manchester, Vermont.
American architect Clifford C. Wendehack, who designed the clubhouse at the elite Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, planned out Pennhills’ brick and slate Tudor-manor style clubhouse in a similar style.
Jake Northrup, Pennhill’s head in-house PGA golf professional, is coordinating the tournament and has invited some of the best professional golfers from the region compete.
“The Blaisdell Pro Am is rapidly rising to become one of the premier PGA events in the New York/Pennsylvania region,” Northrup said. “With the generously increased prize money and growing registration interest from both professional and amateur golfers alike, our beautiful and challenging course is certainly getting the attention it deserves.”
Pictured, at the Zippo Pro Am in 1964, George G. Blaisdell (center), founder of Zippo, presents the 1964 winner of the Zippo Open with his trophy and prize money at the Pennhills Club; in 2014, George Duke (right), Owner and Chairman of the Board at Zippo Manufacturing Company, presented PGA pro golfer Chris Stoddard with the first Blaisdell Pro Am trophy at the Pennhills Club. Photos courtesy of Zippo.