It is hard to spend any time in Branson without hearing about the Bass Pro Legends Golf Tournament, a PGA Championship game held right here in Branson, Missouri. This grand event attracts celebrities, golf fans and volunteers from across the country to participate and be spectators of this beloved golfing championship. This hugely popular tournament first came to town in 2014, and was held at the Top of the Rock and Buffalo Ridge golf courses. The first year was a huge hit, and the PGA tournament returned again in 2015.
The PGA Legends of Golf Tournament came to be back in 1978, when the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf generated what became the Champions Tour, which made its debut in 1980. In 2014, many years after the tournament’s creation, the game was played at the golf courses created by conservationist and Ozarks legend Johnny Morris and three famous golf champions. Their collaboration combined with the PGA Champions Tour became the Bass Pro Legends Golf Tournament – and the marriage between the two has indeed become legendary! This was the first PGA TOUR sanctioned event to use a Par-3 Course in official competition.
The Bass Pro Legends Golf Tournament is a two man, 54 hole game, and in 2014 at the inaugural play, Jeff Sluman and Fred Funk walked away with a one stroke victory over the other players. The 2015 tournament was won by Joe Durant and Billy Andrade with a closing score of 9 under 45. Each and every PGA player who has taken part in the Bass Pro Legends Golf Tournament has been very enthusiastic about both the game and the location; pro golfer Gary Player said “It was a very exciting week, a very different format – I think golf needs more of this.”
Golf professionals and famous players who have participated in this outstanding tournament include Gary Player, Hale Irwin, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. The latter two players actually partnered with Johnny Morris in the creation of the Top of the Rock and Buffalo Ridge golf courses – Tom Watson designed The Himalayas putting green, and Jack Nicklaus was a major designer of the par-3 Top of the Rock course. (Arnold Palmer was also a leading player and course design specialist who helped create the now famous golf courses.)
The tournament is arranged so that only 13 of the 26 two man golfing teams are playing at the same time – part of the uniqueness of the Bass Pro Legends tournament is that whichever teams are NOT on the course are partaking in an Outdoor Pro-Am activity such as Fishing (bass or trout) or Shooting (archery or skeet.) The teams will then swap so everyone gets a chance on the course!
Charitable organizations that benefit from the golf tournament include America’s Wildlife Museum and Aquarium, and the local College of the Ozarks, also known as Hard Work U. In fact, College of the Ozarks supplies the golf caddies for the players during this tournament – students are encouraged to volunteer at this exciting and famous event!
The Bass Pro Legends Golf Tournament has really put the Branson/Tri-Lakes area on the map as far as golfing goes – and with two successful years and a third on the way, this great championship game will continue on into the future!
