# Southern California Championships

The Southern California Championships and was a men's and women's hard court tennis tournament founded in 1887 as a joint men's & women's event.
The men's event ran until 1977, whilst the women's event continued till 1979.
It was held at various locations including Riverside (1887), then Santa Monica (1888–1903), then South Pasadena (1904), then Long Beach (1905–1920) and finally Los Angeles (1920–1979).
This event carried the tour designation Los Angeles II, whilst Los Angeles I referred to the Pacific Southwest Championships/Los Angeles Open

## History

On 19 March 1887, the Southern California Lawn Tennis Association was formed with the Hon. James Bettner as its first president. The Southern California Championships were founded in March 1887 and first staged on asphalt courts at the Casa Blanca Club, Riverside, California. In August 1887 a second tournament was organized that was won by William Henry Young after which the event would be played in the last week of August. In 1888 the tournament moved to the Santa Monica Casino courts, where it remained until 1903. The tournament alternated between different locations throughout its run.
In 1968, at the start of the Open era, it became an open event. The men's event remained known as the Southern California Championships until 1977 and was part of the Grand Prix Tennis circuit tour. The women's event continued as the Southern California Championships officially until 1979.

### Men's event

The inaugural men's tournament was won by Canadian born later American citizen William Henry Young who defeated Mr C. Trevelia in the All Comer's Final. In 1968 the event became part of the International Tennis Federation independent tour. In 1970 the event became part of the Grand Prix Tennis Circuit tour until 1977. The final tournament was won by the Mexican player Raúl Ramírez who defeated the American player Brian Gottfried.

### Women's event

The inaugural women's tournament was won by the American player Miss Fannie Shoemaker who defeated a Miss Dexter in the All Comer's Final.
In 1979 the final women's event was held that was won by Kelly Henry who defeated Lea Antonoplis.

## Locations

The tournament was staged in different cities for the duration of its run they included:
| Venue | City | Years |
| Casa Blanca Club. | Riverside | 1887 |
| Santa Monica Casino Courts. | Santa Monica | 1888 – 1903 |
| | South Pasadena | 1904 |
| Hotel Virginia. | Long Beach | 1905 – 1915 |
| Los Angeles Tennis Club | Los Angeles | 1919 – 1977 |

## Finals
### Men's singles

Included:
| Year | Location | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
| 1887 | Riverside | William Henry Young | C. Trevelia | |
| 1887 | Santa Monica | William Henry Young (2) | R. L. Bettner | |
| 1888 | Santa Monica | Robert Peyton Carter | William Henry Young | w.o. |
| 1889 | Santa Monica | Robert Peyton Carter (2) | A. Q. Twiss | 6–3, 6–3, 6–3. |
| 1890 | Santa Monica | Robert Peyton Carter (3) | Kenneth (Ken) Carter | |
| 1891 | Santa Monica | Theodore Coulter | Robert Peyton Carter | w.o. |
| 1892 | Santa Monica | Robert Peyton Carter (4) | Theodore Coulter | w.o. |
| 1893 | Santa Monica | Robert Peyton Carter (5) | Martin A. Chase | 6–0, 6–2, 7–5. |
| 1894 | Santa Monica | Robert Peyton Carter (6) | Arthur William Bumiller | 6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 7–5 |
| 1895 | Santa Monica | Arthur William Bumiller | Robert Peyton Carter | w.o. |
| 1896 | Santa Monica | Lewis Ransome Freeman | Arthur William Bumiller | 6–3, 3–6, 6–0, 6–2 |
| 1897 | Santa Monica | Lewis Ransome Freeman (2) | John Cravens | 6–1, 6–1, 6–3 |
| 1898 | Santa Monica | Lewis Ransome Freeman (3) | Oliver Richer | 6–1, 3–6, 6–1, 6–1 |
| 1899 | Santa Monica | Sumner Hardy | Lewis Ransome Freeman | w.o. |
| 1900 | Santa Monica | Alphonzo Bell Sr. | ? | ? |
| 1901 | Santa Monica | Alphonzo Bell Sr. (2) | Reuben Gay Hunt | 6–2, 6–1, 6–0 |
| 1902 | Santa Monica | Lewis Ransome Freeman (4) | Alphonzo Bell Sr. | 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1903 | Santa Monica | Alphonzo Bell Sr. (3) | Lewis Ransome Freeman | w.o. |
| 1904 | Pasadena | Eugene Overton | Alphonzo Bell Sr. | w.o. |
| 1905 | Los Angeles | Eugene Overton (2) | Robert Henry Fauntleroy Variel jr | 6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 6–2 |
| 1906 | Los Angeles | Harold Hyde Braly Sr. | Nathaniel Borrodaille (Nat) Browne | 7–5, 0–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1907 | Los Angeles | Melville H. Long | | |
| 1908 | Long Beach | Tom Bundy | Melville H. Long | w.o. |
| 1909 | Long Beach | Wynn Mace | Tom Bundy | w.o. |
| 1910 | Long Beach | Wynn Mace (2) | Nathaniel Borrodaille (Nat) Browne | 10–8, 4–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 1911 | Long Beach | Henry Ward Dawson | Wynn Mace | 6–0, 6–1, 2–6, 6–2 |
| 1912 | Long Beach | Paul Hardeman | William Amos Horrell | 6–4, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1913 | Long Beach | Tom Bundy (2) | Willis Davis | 6–1, 4–6, 12–10, 6–4 |
| 1914 | Long Beach | Henry Ward Dawson | Alphonzo Bell Sr. | 6–0, 6–2 |
| 1915 | Long Beach | Roland Roberts | Tom Bundy | 3–6, 3–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1919 | Los Angeles | Howard Kinsey | ? | ? |
| 1920 | Los Angeles | Robert Kinsey | Harvey Burton Snodgrass | 6–4, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 1921 | Los Angeles | Henry Parker | ? | ? |
| 1922 | Los Angeles | Harvey Snodgrass | Clifton Bradford Herd | 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1923 | Los Angeles | Manuel Alonso Areizaga | Ray Casey | 7–5, 6–4 |
| 1924 | Los Angeles | Bill Tilden | Alfred H. Chapin Jr. | ? |
| 1925 | Los Angeles | Alan Herrington | Craig Biddle | 6–3, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1926 | Los Angeles | Benjamin Gorchakoff | ? | ? |
| 1927 | Los Angeles | Gerald Stratford | ? | ? |
| 1928 | Los Angeles | Ben Gorchakoff (2) | Clinton Herd | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1929 | Los Angeles | John Doeg | Ben Gorchakoff | 7–9, 6–4, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1930 | Los Angeles | Ellsworth Vines | Keith Gledhill | 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1931 | Los Angeles | Ellsworth Vines (2) | Alan David Herrington | 3–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1932 | Los Angeles | Lester Stoefen | Jack Tidball | 6–4, 6–3, 18–16 |
| 1933 | Los Angeles | Gene Mako | Keith Gledhill | 0–6, 6–1, 6–3, 5–7, 6–0 |
| 1934 | Los Angeles | Jack Tidball | Elbert Raymond Lewis | 3–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1935 | Los Angeles | Frank Shields | Gerald Porter Bartosh | 6–4, 6–1, 6–0 |
| 1936 | Los Angeles | Bobby Riggs | Charles Carr | 6–4, 6–1, 7–5 |
| 1937 | Los Angeles | Bobby Riggs (2) | Frank Shields | 6–1, 7–5, 6–2 |
| 1938 | Los Angeles | Joe Hunt | Jack Kramer | 2–6, 6–2, 6–1, 7–5 |
| 1939 | Los Angeles | Frank Parker | Gene Mako | w.o. |
| 1940 | Los Angeles | Ted Schroeder | Owen Anderson | 2–6, 6–2, 7–5, 7–5 |
| 1941 | Los Angeles | Frank Parker | Ted Schroeder | 6–4, 6–2, 6–0 |
| 1942 | Los Angeles | Jack Kramer | Frank Parker | 6–2, 6–2, 11–9 |
| 1943 | Los Angeles | Bob Falkenburg | George Druliner | 6–3, 2–6, 6–0, 6–2 |
| 1944 | Los Angeles | Jack Kramer (2) | Frank Parker | 8–6, 8–6, 6–3 |
| 1945 | Los Angeles | Elwood Cooke | William Reedy | 6–2, 3–6, 6–0 |
| 1946 | Los Angeles | Jack Kramer (3) | Frank Parker | 8–6, 6–1, 9–7 |
| 1947 | Los Angeles | Jack Kramer (4) | Frank Parker | 4–6, 2–6, 11–9, 6–2, 7–5 |
| 1948 | Los Angeles | Ted Schroeder (2) | Bob Falkenburg | 6–3, 3–6, 7–5, 12–10 |
| 1949 | Los Angeles | Ted Schroeder (3) | Pancho Gonzales | 6–1, 6–0, 6–2 |
| 1950 | Los Angeles | Tom Brown | Bob Falkenburg | 5–7, 6–1, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1951 | Los Angeles | Art Larsen | Ted Schroeder | 6–8, 7–5, 7–5, 6–3 |
| 1952 | Los Angeles | Art Larsen (2) | Tom Brown | 6–2, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 1953 | Los Angeles | Tony Trabert | Art Larsen | 6–3, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 1954 | Los Angeles | Herbert Flam | Hugh Stewart | 6–1, 4–6, 6–1, 9–7 |
| 1955 | Los Angeles | Tony Trabert (2) | Gilbert Shea | 6–1, 6–1, 7–5 |
| 1956 | Los Angeles | Gilbert Shea | Michael Green | 6–1, 8–6, 2–6, 6–2 |
| 1957 | Los Angeles | Alex Olmedo | Herbert Flam | 6–1, 6–3 |
| 1958 | Los Angeles | Herbert Flam | Alex Olmedo | 8–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–3 |
| 1959 | Los Angeles | Mike Franks | Alex Olmedo | 6–4, 3–6, 0–6, 12–10, 7–5 |
| 1960 | Los Angeles | Dennis Ralston | Rafael Osuna | 6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1961 | Los Angeles | Luis Alberto Ayala | Allen Fox | 9–7, 3–6, 3–6, 7–5, 8–6 |
| 1962 | Los Angeles | Rafael Osuna | Allen Fox | 6–2, 5–7, 8–6, 6–2 |
| 1963 | Los Angeles | Dennis Ralston (2) | Rafael Osuna | 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 1964 | Los Angeles | Dennis Ralston (3) | Arthur Ashe | 6–3, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 1965 | Los Angeles | Dennis Ralston (4) | Arthur Ashe | 8–6, 6–2 |
| 1966 | Los Angeles | Arthur Ashe | Stan Smith | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1967 | Los Angeles | Stan Smith | Allen Fox | 7–5, 13-11 |
| 1968 | Los Angeles | Stan Smith (2) | Dick Leach | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1969 | Los Angeles | Stan Smith (3) | Bob Lutz | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1970 | Los Angeles | Erik van Dillen | Allen Fox | 6–2, 6–1 |
| 1971 | Los Angeles | Pancho Gonzales | Jimmy Connors | 3–6, 6–3, 6–3. |
| 1972 | Los Angeles | Pancho Gonzales (2) | Alex Olmedo | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1973 | Los Angeles | Bob Kreiss | Jeff Austin | 7–6, 1–6, 7–6 |
| 1974 | Los Angeles | Billy Martin | Gene Malin | 7–6, 6–3 |
| 1975 | Los Angeles | Brian Teacher | Joao Soares | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1976 | Los Angeles | Charles (Buzz) Strode | Eliot Teltscher | 6–0, 7–6 |
| 1977 | Los Angeles | Raúl Ramírez | Brian Gottfried | 7–5, 3–6, 6–4 |