What Happened to Andy Williams's Golf Tournament?

For 21 years, the PGA Tour stop at Torrey Pines carried the name of the man whose voice you hear every December: Andy Williams. He turned a sleepy San Diego Open into a national TV event, doubled the purse in his first year, filled the pro-am with Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon and Danny Thomas — and then, in 1988, his name disappeared. In January 2027 the tournament changes names yet again. This is the story of the Andy Williams San Diego Open: the Salk Institute idea that started it, Tom Weiskopf's first win, the party years at La Costa, the sponsor names that grew longer every year, Craig Stadler's towel, a 6-year-old Tiger Woods and a 17-year-old Phil Mickelson — and the 1988 newspaper story that explains why Andy walked away. Did you go to the Andy Williams San Diego Open, see Andy at the pro-am or dinner show, or watch the Stadler towel weekend on TV? Tell me the year and the memory in the comments. Part of our series on the stars who once put their names on American golf tournaments: Bob Hope · Bing Crosby · Jackie Gleason · Sammy Davis Jr. · Andy Williams. *Chapters* 00:00 The parking lot on the cliffs 02:10 Mr. Christmas 03:52 From Wall Lake, Iowa to the Tonight Show 06:29 A sleepy San Diego Open 08:56 Moon River 11:41 The Salk Institute idea 13:08 1968: Tom Weiskopf's first win 17:15 June 1968 18:14 Twenty winters at Torrey Pines 22:30 The sponsors move in 25:05 Craig Stadler's towel 29:09 1988: Andy's last tournament 30:09 Why he walked away 32:42 Tiger and Phil at Torrey Pines 35:13 Branson and Moon River 37:02 The Sentry 39:47 What Andy left behind Sources: Los Angeles Times (Feb. 16, 1987; Jan. 27, 1988; Feb. 17 & 22, 1988; Nov. 23, 1988; Feb. 18, 1985); Tour Backspin / Larry Baush (1968 San Diego Open; "From Sleepy to Wild Party"); MyGolfSpy ("What Happened to Celebrity Golf Tournaments?"); City of San Diego (Torrey Pines history, digital photo archives, course fees); Wikipedia (The Sentry (California); Andy Williams; The Andy Williams Show; It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year; Torrey Pines Golf Course; Trial by television in golf tournaments); Deseret News (Aug. 8, 1995); Golf.com & Golf Channel (Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines); ESPN; Golf Digest; Times of San Diego (Jan. 12 & June 2, 2026); Maui Now; CBS Sports; Sky Sports; PGA Tour; Billboard; Time; CBS News; National Constitution Center. Credits: news and broadcast footage and photographs are used for commentary and criticism. Archive and free-licence photos (Wikimedia Commons, City of San Diego Digital Archives) are credited in the pinned comment.