Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
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The Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in April currently in Savannah, Georgia at The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort. Liberty Mutual is the main sponsor of the tournament. It is often called "The tournament that launched the Champions Tour".
It currently consists 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 is an official money/official victory event.[1]
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 tournamet 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 2007 tournament Legends Division was US$2,500,000, with $395,000 going to the winner.
Contents |
[edit] Tournament hosts
It 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 course) | St. Augustine, Florida |
| 2003-2008 | Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa | Savannah, Georgia |
