The Champions Tour returns to action this week with the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open. It is held at the En Joie Golf Club in Endicott, New York.

From 1971-2006 this was the old B.C. Open a regular PGA Tour event. In 2007 it transitioned to the Champions Tour and Dick’s Sporting Goods became the title sponsor.

Dick’s Sporting Goods was founded in 1948 by then 18-year-old Dick Stack with $300 given to him by his grandmother. Dick’s now encompasses over 450 retail sporting goods stores and is a major suppler to sports minded men and women everywhere.

Willie Wood made a 35-foot putt on the last hole to force a playoff with Michael Allen in the 2012 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open. Wood then went on to defeat Allen in the playoff for his first Champions Tour win. It was his first professional win in over 16 years.

This will be the 1,000th Champions Tour tournament held in its 23 year history. Don January won the inaugural Champions Tour event in 1980 at the Atlantic City Senior International. Hale Irwin won No. 500 in 1997 at the BankBoston Classic.

2013 Champions Tour Rookies, Rocco Mediate and Colin Montgomerie will be making their first starts at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open. 29 of the top-30 from the 2012 Champions Tour money list are in the field this week, as well as, five members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Champions Tour players will also be trying to improve their standings in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points race. On the strength of his two major championship victories, Kenny Perry holds a commanding 848 point lead over Bernhard Langer. David Frost, Fred Couples and Duffy Waldorf round out the top-5 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.

The Dick’s Sporting Goods Open can be seen on the Golf Channel 11:00 PM-1:00 AM ET Friday, August 16. It will also be shown tape delayed in prime time on Saturday and Sunday, August 17-18, 9:00-11:00 PM ET.