Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ridgedale, Missouri |
| Established | 1978 |
| Course(s) | Buffalo Ridge Golf Course Top of the Rock |
| Par | 71 (BT) 27 (TR) |
| Length | 7,000 yards (6,400 m) (BR) 2,659 yards (2,431 m) (TR) |
| Tour(s) | Champions Tour |
| Format | Stroke play – no cut 54 holes (age 50–65) 45 holes (over 65) |
| Prize fund | $2.4 million |
| Month played | April |
| Current champion | |
 Billy Andrade and Joe Durant | |
The Bass Pro Shops Legends at Big Cedar is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. Beginning in 2014, it will be played at Big Cedar Lodge on the par-3 Top of the Rock course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and the 18-hole Buffalo Ridge course, redesigned by Tom Fazio in Ridgedale, Missouri. The tournament is sponsored by Bass Pro Shops, which owns the Big Cedar Lodge.[1] It is often called "The tournament that launched the Champions Tour".
From 1978 until 2012, it was known as the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf in Savannah, Georgia at The Club at Savannah Harbor. Liberty Mutual was the main sponsor of the tournament.
It currently consists of two separate events using four-ball and alternate shot formats with two-man teams: the 54-hole Champions Division (age 50–65) and the 45-hole Legends Division (age 65+) (on the final day of the tournament, held at Top of the Rock, Legends play only the course once, while Champions play the course twice). Only the Champions Division event is an official money/official victory event.[2]
For 2008 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]
The tournament was founded in 1978 and consisted of a 54-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 2014 tournament Champions Division was US$2,400,000, with $230,000 going to each member of the winning team.
Tournament hosts
The tournament has been played in several different locations since its founding.
| Years | Course | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1978–1989 | Onion Creek Country Club | Austin, Texas |
| 1990–1994 | Barton Creek Conference Center | Austin, Texas |
| 1995–1997 | PGA West (Stadium Course) | La Quinta, California |
| 1998 | Summer Beach Golf Resort | Amelia Island, Florida |
| 1999–2002 | World Golf Village (King & Bear courses) | St. Augustine, Florida |
| 2003–2013 | The Club at Savannah Harbor | Savannah, Georgia |
| 2014– | Big Cedar Lodge | Ridgedale, Missouri |
Winners
Multiple winners
The following teams have won multiple times through 2016:
| 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 2016:
| 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 | |
| Bruce Lietzke | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Graham Marsh | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Tommy Bolt | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Al Geiberger | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Art Wall | 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
- ^ "Par-3 course to host historic event". PGA Tor. 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.
