Rubber City Open Invitational

{{short description|Golf tournament formerly on the PGA Tour}}

{{infobox golf tournament

| name = Rubber City Open Invitational

| image =

| caption =

| location = Akron, Ohio

| establishment = 1954

| course = Firestone Country Club
(South Course)

| par = 71

| yardage = {{convert|6620|yd|m}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mbcqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HWUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7459%2C4400823 |newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |agency=Associated Press |title=Nieporte grabs Rubber City Open |date=August 24, 1959 |page=13 }}

| lang =

| org =

| tour = PGA Tour

| format = Stroke play

| purse = {{currency|20,000|USD}}

| month_played = August

| final_year = 1959

| aggregate = 265 Tommy Bolt (1954)

| to-par = −23 as above

| final_champion = {{flagicon|USA}} Tom Nieporte

| map = USA#USA Ohio

| map_relief = yes

| map_label = Firestone CC

| map_caption = Location in the United States##Location in Ohio

| coordinates = {{coord|41.008|-81.508}}

}}

The Rubber City Open Invitational, first played as the Rubber City Open in 1954, was the first PGA Tour golf event to be held at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, US. The tournament, last played in 1959, was discontinued as Firestone gained national prominence and attracted bigger events beginning with hosting the 1960 PGA Championship, the American Golf Classic in 1961, and in 1962 the World Series of Golf now known as the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.{{cite web |title=A Championship Legacy |publisher=Firestone Country Club |url=http://www.firestonecountryclub.com/golf/championship_legacy.htm |access-date=2007-11-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103013832/http://www.firestonecountryclub.com/golf/championship_legacy.htm |archive-date=2008-01-03 |df=mdy-all}}

The first edition in September 1954 had a $15,000 purse with a winner's share of $2,400, won by Tommy Bolt.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lfMhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4pkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7185%2C670542 |newspaper=Tuscaloosa News |agency=Associated Press |last=Howell |first=Fritz |title=Tommy Bolt wins Rubber City Open |date=September 6, 1954 |page=12}} The sixth and final champion in August 1959 was Tom Nieporte, who won $2,800 from a $20,000 purse.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tlpYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LfoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5304%2C3447096 |newspaper=Lakeland Ledger |agency=Associated Press |title=Nieporte captures Rubber City Open |date=August 24, 1959 |page=10}}

At the time, there were only 18 holes at Firestone, today's "South Course." The North Course was the second course, added in 1969.