Imagine sitting at a local barbecue joint, enjoying a large helping of pulled pork and slaw when one of the most famous golfers in the world walks up and introduces himself.
At Collierville Commissary, that is exactly what reigning PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson did. And once he was done eating, the three-time Masters champion left more than an 800% tip for his server, according to owner Walker Taylor.
Like many golfers who stop in for barbecue before or after the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Tournament, Taylor said Mickelson used to come into the restaurant all the time (but he now thinks Mickelson is trying for a healthier diet).
The Commissary will be featured once again at TPC Southwind alongside three other Memphis barbecue restaurants, including Central BBQ, Hog Wild and The Rendezvous. The four spots will be part of “The Pit,” a showcase that started at the tournament in 2019 but was not present in 2020 because of COVID-19.
The showcase will be set up between the eighth and ninth holes at TPC Southwind.
Partnerships and benefits
The restaurants were selected because of previous involvement with the tournament or its primary beneficiary, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Three of the shops — The Commissary, The Rendezvous and Hog Wild — volunteered with the tournament prior to 2019, helping to feed media members, tournament volunteers and golfers prior to the first tee time.
The Rendezvous developed its own feature, “Rendezvous on the Range,” through which the restaurant fed both players and caddies.
When asked why they partner with the tournament, each restaurant voiced the same sentiment. For one, it’s good for business, but all four restaurants brought up St. Jude as the main motivator for their work at TPC Southwind.
Friendly competition
With this common goal in mind, the four shops get along well and are happy to work together. They help each other when they can, even with pandemic-induced supply shortages hitting the restaurant industry, Taylor and The Rendezvous co-owner John Vergos pointed out.
With the attraction lasting multiple days, fans have a chance to try each option. Hog Wild owner Ernie Mellor said the only thing that wins fans over when standing next to the “three biggest competitors in the barbecue business” is a smiling face. Even still, he said, the four shops don’t really compete for business at The Pit. In 2019, all four restaurants did well, and the margin between them was small.
“We were all four next to each other, and so we literally sold within $1,000 of each other, the same amount that entire week. … A big piece of that goes back to St. Jude,” Mellor said.
MORE: See a photo gallery from “The Pit” at the 2019 event.
Memphis ties
When the tournament at TPC Southwind transitioned to become a World Golf Championship, one of the main initiatives organizers wanted to bring about was “more Memphis,” said Darrell Smith, executive director of the tournament. (It was announced on Tuesday the event will return to the PGA Tour and become part of the FedEx Cup playoffs.)
Smith explained the tournament already had a large Memphis presence in FedEx and St. Jude. It was only natural to add the thing that Memphis is best known for: its barbecue.
The Pit will feature all of the Memphis classics. From the Vergos family signature dry-rub ribs to barbeque nachos (there are multiple claims out there as to who invented this dish, so don’t ask) and catfish quesadillas.
Fans will be surrounded by not only the world’s best golfers at WGC-FedEx St. Jude, but also the world’s best barbecue, according to these four restaurants.
So when the smell of pulled pork hits your nose, follow it — and find yourself between the eighth and ninth hole as The Pit returns to TPC Southwind.
Claire Kuwana is a sports reporting intern at the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Contact her at claire.kuwana@commercialappeal.com or follow her on Twitter @clairekuwana.
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