Pro golf tourney at Big Cedar adds star power

PGA Tour play resumes today at Big Cedar Lodge with added star talent: longtime championship player Phil Mickelson.

The tournament marks Mickelson's debut on the PGA Tour Champions circuit for golfers age 50 and older, according to a news release. The Charles Schwab Series tournament started last week at the Ridgedale resort owned by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris.

Mickelson is scheduled to play through Wednesday at the tournament's three-day, 54-hole event at Big Cedar's Ozarks National golf course.

“It is an incredible honor to welcome Phil Mickelson, one of the game’s all-time great competitors, to Big Cedar Lodge,” Morris said in the release. “We are thrilled fans have the opportunity to watch Phil as he joins the PGA TOUR Champions tournament while experiencing the rugged natural beauty of Ozarks National.”

The Charles Schwab Series tournament in Ridgedale has a $3 million purse. No spectators are allowed at the tournament because of COVID-19 restrictions, but the event is being aired worldwide on The Golf Channel.

Mickelson, who became eligible for the Champions circuit when he turned 50 years old in June, is a Hall of Fame player with 44 PGA Tour victories, according to the professional golf league's website.

Big Cedar previously served for five years as the host site of the PGA Tour’s Legends of Golf circuit. Bass Pro last year chose not to renew its sponsorship of the event, and earlier this summer, officials with the company announced the tournament would return to Ridgedale with Charles Schwab branding.