The Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour Champions. From 2014 to 2019, it was played at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri on the par-3 Top of the Rock course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and the 18-hole Buffalo Ridge course, redesigned by Tom Fazio. The tournament was sponsored by Bass Pro Shops, which owns the Big Cedar Lodge.[1] It is often called "The tournament that launched the Champions Tour". Starting in 2018, a second par-3 course, Mountain Top, a 13-hole course designed by Gary Player, was added to the tournament, which has the oddity of being a 67-hole tournament.
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ridgedale, Missouri, U.S. |
| Established | 1978 |
| Course(s) | Buffalo Ridge Golf Course Top of the Rock |
| Par | 71 (BR) 39 (MT) 27 (TR) |
| Length | 6,963 yards (6,367 m) (BR) 1,912 yards (1,748 m) (MT) 2,659 yards (2,431 m) (TR) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions (since 2002) |
| Format | Stroke play – no cut 67 holes (age 50–65) 58 holes (over 65) |
| Prize fund | $1.8 million |
| Month played | April |
| Current champion | |
 Scott Hoch and Tom Pernice Jr. | |
From 1978 until 2012, it was known as the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf. Prior to Big Cedar Lodge, it was played in Savannah, Georgia, at The Club at Savannah Harbor. Liberty Mutual was the main sponsor of the tournament.
In its final years, it consisted of two separate events using four-ball and alternate shot formats with two-man teams: the 67-hole Champions Division (age 50–65) and the 58-hole Legends Division (age 65+) (on the final day of the tournament, held at Top of the Rock, Legends played the course once, while Champions played the course twice). Only the Champions Division event was an official money/official victory event.[2]
For 2002 to 2013, it consisted of three separate events: the Legends Division is a 54-hole two-man team better-ball event for men over 50, the Raphael Division is a 36-hole two-man team better-ball event for men age 50–69, and the Demaret Division is a 36-hole two-man team better-ball event for men over 70. Only the Legends Division event was an official money/official victory event.[3]
From 2014 until 2016, the tournament was held over 54 holes, one round at Buffalo Ridge, and four nine-hole rounds at Top of the Rock. In 2017, because of weather that washed out play and made the full Buffalo Ridge course unplayable, all 36 (or 27) holes were played at Top of the Rock, the first time a PGA Tour event was held exclusively on a Par 3 course.
The tournament was founded in 1978 and consisted of a 72-hole two-man team better-ball event for men over 50. Its success provided impetus for the formation of the Senior PGA Tour in 1980. In 1987, a Legendary Division was added. This consisted of a 36-hole two-man team better-ball event for men over 60. These teams also competed in the Legends Division - Charles Coody & Dale Douglass won both divisions in 1998. In 1993, the 36-hole Demaret Division (named after tournament co-founder Jimmy Demaret) was added for men over 70. For this year alone, all three divisions were competed at individual stroke play. In 2002 the Legends Division became an individual stroke play event and became an official money event on the Champions Tour. This format remained through 2007. The Legendary Division was renamed the Raphael Division (after tournament co-founder Fred Raphael who had died in 2001) and became the 36-hole two-man team better-ball event for men over 60.
The purse for the 2019 tournament was $1.8 million, with $171,000 going to each member of the winning team.
Tournament hosts
editThe tournament has been played in several different locations since its founding.
| Years | Course | City |
|---|---|---|
| 2014–2019 | Big Cedar Lodge | Ridgedale, Missouri |
| 2003–2013 | The Club at Savannah Harbor | Savannah, Georgia |
| 1999–2002 | World Golf Village (King & Bear courses) | St. Augustine, Florida |
| 1998 | Summer Beach Golf Resort | Amelia Island, Florida |
| 1995–1997 | PGA West (Stadium Course) | La Quinta, California |
| 1990–1994 | Barton Creek Conference Center | Austin, Texas |
| 1978–1989 | Onion Creek Country Club | Austin, Texas |
Team winners
edit- Champions Tour event (Legends Division 2002–2013, Champions Division 2014– )
- Unofficial money event (Raphael Division 2002–2013, Demaret Division 2002–2013, Legends Division 2014–2017)
- Unofficial money event (1978–2001)
Individual winners
edit| Year | Winner | Tournament | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Harold Henning | Legends of Golf Legends Division | Playoff | Don January, Tom Weiskopf |
| 1993 | Don January | Legends of Golf Legendary Division | 2 strokes | Roberto De Vicenzo, Gay Brewer |
| 1993 | Jerry Barber | Legends of Golf Demaret Division | 10 strokes | Kel Nagle |
Multiple winners
editThe following teams have won multiple times through 2017:
| Team | Total | Legends/Champions | Raphael/Legends | Demaret |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don January & Gene Littler | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Mike Hill & Lee Trevino | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
| Orville Moody & Jimmy Powell | 5 | 3 | 2 | |
| Andy North & Tom Watson | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
| Charles Coody & Dale Douglass | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Roberto De Vicenzo & Charlie Sifford | 3 | 3 | ||
| Gary Koch & Roger Maltbie | 3 | 3 | ||
| Joe Jimenez & Charlie Sifford | 3 | 3 | ||
| Jim Colbert & Andy North | 2 | 2 | ||
| Bruce Crampton & Orville Moody | 2 | 2 | ||
| John Bland & Graham Marsh | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Mike Fetchick & Bob Toski | 2 | 2 | ||
| Mark James & Des Smyth | 2 | 2 | ||
| Miller Barber & Jim Ferree | 2 | 2 | ||
| Gibby Gilbert & J. C. Snead | 2 | 2 | ||
| Gary Player & Bob Charles | 2 | 2 | ||
| Larry Nelson & Bruce Fleisher | 2 | 2 |
The following individuals have won multiple times (as part of a team or individually) through 2017:
| Player | Total | Legends/Champions | Raphael/Legends | Demaret |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don January | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Gene Littler | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Orville Moody | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Andy North | 6 | 3 | 3 | |
| Jimmy Powell | 6 | 3 | 3 | |
| Charlie Sifford | 6 | 3 | 3 | |
| Mike Hill | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
| Lee Trevino | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
| Roberto De Vicenzo | 5 | 2 | 3 | |
| Charles Coody | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| Dale Douglass | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| Jim Colbert | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Tom Watson | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
| Des Smyth | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
| Gary Koch | 3 | 3 | ||
| Roger Maltbie | 3 | 3 | ||
| Bob Charles | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jim Ferree | 3 | 3 | ||
| Joe Jimenez | 3 | 3 | ||
| Michael Allen | 2 | 2 | ||
| Bruce Crampton | 2 | 2 | ||
| Jay Haas | 2 | 2 | ||
| Harold Henning | 2 | 2 | ||
| Jeff Sluman | 2 | 2 | ||
| Sam Snead | 2 | 2 | ||
| John Bland | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Hubert Green | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Bruce Lietzke | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Graham Marsh | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Tommy Bolt | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Al Geiberger | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Art Wall Jr. | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Mike Fetchick | 2 | 2 | ||
| Mark James | 2 | 2 | ||
| Bob Toski | 2 | 2 | ||
| Jerry Barber | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Doug Ford | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Miller Barber | 2 | 2 | ||
| Gibby Gilbert | 2 | 2 | ||
| Gary Player | 2 | 2 | ||
| J. C. Snead | 2 | 2 |
References
edit- ^ "Par-3 course to host historic event". PGA Tour. February 25, 2014.
- ^ Kupelian, Vartan (June 2, 2014). "Power Rankings: Big Cedar Lodge Legends of Golf". PGA Tour.
- ^ "Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf to Return to Team Format". PGA Tour. December 3, 2007. Archived from the original on December 15, 2007.
