The First Ten Years
(the last ten years)

1978
The Legends got off to a great start in 1978 when NBC Television carried the event. Sam Snead and his partner Gardner Dickinson stole all the headlines. The incredible Snead birdied the 16th and 17th holes to tie the Australian team of Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle. Then, on 18, Sam went for all the marbles and the $100,000 first prize money. His sensational wedge shot from the fairway stopped just short of the cup leaving Sam only a 3 or 4 foot putt for the win. After Nagle missed his birdie attempt, Sam sank his third consecutive birdie, and he and Dickinson won the first Legends of Golf tournament and $50,000 each.

1979
In 1979, the Legends represented senior play at its best when the final day provided fireworks and pure competitive spirit seldom seen in golf. It took birdies on the last two holes of regulation by Roberto De Vicenzo and Julius Boros to force a sudden death play-off with Tommy Bolt and Art Wall. The play-off resulted in one par and five birdies over the six holes with De Vicenzo and Bolt teasing each other in their friendly manner after each sensational birdie. After six extra holes, shown on national television, De Vicenzo and Boros walked off as the winners. The tournament was telecast by NBC nationally and the play-off ran into prime time. It has been said before, but it certainly bears repeating, that on April 30th, 1979, the Senior TOUR was born.

1980
In 1980, the Legends, now established as an artistic success, became a very solid financial success with the strong support of its newly found sponsor, the Liberty Mutual Group which has sponsored all of the Legends since then. The 1980 tournament gave senior golf another lift when the "odd couple" of the game, Tommy Bolt and Art Wall, returned and fired a six-under par 64 on the final day for a Legend's record 23 under-par total score of 187 and the first place purse.

1981
The Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, as it was now called, was once again played at the Onion Creek Club in Austin, Texas, its home since its inception. This was the year that Gene Littler and his partner, Bob Rosburg, recorded a 23 under-par score of 257 as the event became a 4-day tournament for the first time. On Saturday they shot a sizzling 62 under-par for a four stroke lead that they never relinquished.

1982
In 1982 it was no contest! The ageless Sam Snead and his young 50 year old partner, Don January, shot an incredible 27 under-par 183, in a rain shortened 3-day tournament. If you can believe it, Sam and Don averaged a birdie every other hole, a record for any kind of golf played any place around the world. Sam went on to become the Legend's first two-time winner.

1983
In 1983, Roberto De Vicenzo lost his playing partner when Bob Goalby suffered a back injury and had to withdraw from the tournament early in the week. Bob's replacement was a newcomer to the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, Rod Funseth. On Sunday, the team of Roberto and Rod held on to a tight two stroke lead over the determined duo of Jackie Burke and Paul Harney. Birdies on 17 and 18 made De Vicenzo and Funseth the winners, with Roberto becoming the second two-time Legend's winner.

1984
In 1984, the teams of Miller Barber/Julius Boros and Billy Casper/Gay Brewer moved away from the field as they traded birdies on the last day of play. After 15 holes, Billy and Gay held on to a one stroke lead. After a bogey by Miller/Julius on 17, Gay got his sixth birdie of the day, and he and partner Casper turned out the lights on their competitors to win the competition.

1985
The big "news" in 1985 was the announcement that two Legendary members of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, Mickey Wright and Kathy Whitworth, would compete as a team in that year's field. And compete they did! Mickey almost had a hole in one on the par-3 17th, and Kathy chipped in from off the green on 18 as they were one of the leading contenders after the first two rounds of play. But then former Legends champions and now teammates, Don January and Gene Littler, moved away from the field on Saturday and Sunday to capture the win.

1986
In 1986, NBC's cameras and a good portion of the mammoth gallery were rushing back to the 15th hole anticipating an unprecedented four team play-off after the regulation 72 holes of play. But then on 18, Gene Littler, putting for a winning birdie 30 feet away, sunk it. The putt, a downhill, left-to-right shot, shocked the gallery and millions of TV viewers--as well as Littler and his teammate January--as they won their second consecutive title.

1987
1987 brought a new team of winners to the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. It consisted of the "Ironman" of senior golf, Bruce Crampton, and the old Sarge, Orville Moody. Crampton, who earned the title of "Ironman" long before he participated in every senior event in 1986, and his partner Moody, set a tournament record score of 59 on Saturday and then shot 11 consecutive birdies on Sunday as they distanced themselves from the rest of the field and won their first Legends tournament.