In the inaugural edition of the tournament, Harold Solomon won the title by defeating Ken Rosewall 6–5(7–5), 6–2, 2–6, 0–6, 6–3 in the final.[1]
The tournament was played in three stages. The preliminary draw was played at the World of Tennis Resort in Lakeway, Texas, with the top half being played in March and the bottom half being played in July.[2] The final match was played at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The final was played with so-called television rules: no-ad scoring (first player to reach four points wins the game) and tiebreaks at 5-all.[1]
^ abc"A roundup of the week Sept. 12–18". Sports Illustrated. 26 September 1977. Retrieved 25 October 2018. It took 25-year-old Harold Solomon five sets, including a 13-point tie breaker, to beat 42-year-old Ken Rosewall 6-5, 6-2, 2-6, 0-6, 6-3 in the $200,000 Tournament of Champions in New York. Solomon's first-place check of $60,000 was the largest of his career.
^"Tennis tourney begins today". Lakeway, Texas: The Gadsden Times. Associated Press. 10 March 1977. Retrieved 25 October 2018. The tournament continues through Sunday in this central Texas resort community. The winner of this eight-man draw will play the winner of a similar eight-man tournament in July for the $60,000 first prize.
Harold Solomon
Ken Rosewall
Ilie Năstase
Wojciech Fibak
Cliff Drysdale
Vijay Amritraj
Adriano Panatta
Onny Parun
Mark Cox