Mitsubishi Electric Classic gets later date on Champions tour

Tom Watson tees off on the 12th hole during the pro-am for the Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf on Thursday, April 13, 2017, in Duluth.  Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Tom Watson tees off on the 12th hole during the pro-am for the Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf on Thursday, April 13, 2017, in Duluth. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

The Mitsubishi Electric Classic, Atlanta’s annual stop on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, is getting a later date for 2021.

The tournament is moving from the week after the Masters, its traditional spot on the schedule, to May 10-16. It will continue to be played at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, where it has been contested since its inception in 2013.

“The week-after-Augusta date was good for us,” tournament director Monte Ortel said. “But Mother Nature hasn’t always been good for us. Overall, this date is going to be much better.”

The tournament always has drawn a top field, but has been hampered by bad weather. A year ago the first round was delayed four hours by bad weather. In 2015 the final round was canceled because of heavy rains, and the tournament was shortened to 36 holes. This year’s event was canceled when the PGA Tour shut down all events because of COVID-19.

“The new date puts us in a better position on the calendar year,” Ortel said. “The playing conditions, with our Bermuda greens and zoysia fairways, will be better than ever, agronomically speaking. We’ll be getting into our late spring weather pattern.”

The change isn’t likely to hurt the field, either. Ageless Bernhard Langer almost owns the event; he won the first Mitsubishi Electric Championship and has been runner-up four times. Scott McCarron, the 2019 winner, also loves Sugarloaf; he won there twice when it hosted the PGA Tour’s BellSouth Classic and rode the momentum from last year’s victory to claim the Charles Schwab Cup.

The Mitsubishi Electric Classic also will enjoy the presence of a new group of top names. Four-time major champion Ernie Els has committed to playing almost full-time on the Champions Tour. Jim Furyk, who will host his own event in 2021, is leaning in that direction. Major champions Mike Weir, Rich Beem and multi-winners K.J. Choi and Tim Herron also will be eligible.

“Every year our tour seems to reload with recognizable, good players,” Ortel said. “It just keeps getting better and better.”