The American Express
Tournament information
LocationLa Quinta, California
Established1960
Course(s)La Quinta Country Club
PGA West
(Stadium Course)
(Nicklaus Tournament Course)
Par72
Length7,060 yards (6,460 m) (LQ)
7,140 yards (6,530 m) (S)
7,181 yards (6,566 m) (NT)
Organized byImpact Through Golf
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$8,400,000
Month playedJanuary
Tournament record score
Aggregate72 holes:
260 Patrick Reed (2014)
90 holes:
324 Joe Durant (2001)
To par72 holes:
−28 as above
90 holes:
−36 as above
Current champion
Spain Jon Rahm
Location Map
PGA West is located in the United States
PGA West
PGA West
Location in the United States
PGA West is located in California
PGA West
PGA West
Location in California

The Desert Classic (currently known as The American Express for sponsorship reasons; previously known as the CareerBuilder Challenge, Palm Springs Golf Classic, the Bob Hope Desert Classic, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, and the Humana Challenge) is a professional golf tournament in southern California on the PGA Tour. Played in mid-winter in the Coachella Valley (greater Palm Springs), it is part of the tour's early season "West Coast Swing."

It previously had five rounds of competition (90 holes) rather than the standard of four rounds, and was known for its celebrity pro-am. For many years, the event was named for and hosted by entertainer Bob Hope and featured a number of celebrity participants.[1]

In 2012, the Desert Classic changed to a traditional 72-hole format over three different courses with a 54-hole cut, similar to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and ended their celebrity pro-am.[2] The tournament is organized by the nonprofit Impact Through Golf, which took over from Desert Classic Charities in 2020.[3]

History

Founded in 1960 as the Palm Springs Golf Classic,[4] the tournament evolved from the Thunderbird Invitational that was held in Palm Springs the previous six years, from 1954 to 1959, but with a much smaller purse.[5] The event was renamed the Bob Hope Desert Classic in 1965 and the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in 1986.[6]

Until 2012, its format remained unique among PGA Tour events, being played over five days and four different courses. In its first three years, the tournament was played at Thunderbird Country Club and Tamarisk Country Club, both in Rancho Mirage; Bermuda Dunes Country Club in Bermuda Dunes; and Indian Wells Country Club in Indian Wells. Bermuda Dunes was used through 2009 and Indian Wells through 2005. In 1963 Eldorado Country Club, also in Indian Wells, replaced Thunderbird Country Club. From 1964 until 1968 La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, replaced Tamarisk Country Club, but in 1969 Tamarisk Country Club rejoined the event and alternated annually with Eldorado Country Club until 1986 (Tamarisk Country Club's last turn being in 1985).

An evolution towards courses more suited to modern professionals began in 1987. From 1987 until 1994, and again from 1998 to the present, a course at PGA West in La Quinta, (the TPC Stadium Golf Course in 1987 and the Arnold Palmer Private Course thereafter) became a permanent member of the roster; from 1995–97, Indian Ridge Country Club in Palm Desert replaced PGA West. To make room for a new permanent member, Eldorado Country Club and La Quinta Country Club alternated from 1987–89 (Eldorado being used in 87 and 89), after which Eldorado Country Club was dropped from the roster. From 1990–2003 Tamarisk Country Club and La Quinta Country Club followed a "1–2" alternating arrangement, where Tamarisk was played the first year and La Quinta CC the next two; this pattern was deviated from when Tamarisk was used in 2004 (a La Quinta CC year by the pattern), although the 2005, 2006 and 2007 events were then played at La Quinta CC.

In early 2005 a local charitable foundation gave its new course, The Classic Club in Palm Desert (an Arnold Palmer-designed track) to the tournament, making the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic the only event on the PGA Tour that owns its own facility. The Classic Club took the place of Indian Wells in 2006, but the course was dropped from the Hope course field after the 2008 event, citing players concerns over high winds.[7]

The 2009 course rotation consisted of the Arnold Palmer Private Course and the Nicklaus Private Course (both at PGA West in La Quinta), SilverRock Resort (in La Quinta), and the Bermuda Dunes Country Club.[7] In 2010, La Quinta CC replaced Bermuda Dunes CC. In 2012, SilverRock Resort dropped from the rotation due to the tournament shortening to 72 holes. In 2016, the main course was Pete Dye's PGA West Stadium Course, and also used PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament course (originally designed for the 1991 Ryder Cup, the European Broadcasting Union objected because of the European domination of the tournament and a nine-hour time difference from Central European Time was inconvenient; the tournament moved east where only a six-hour time difference allowed the event to air in primetime hours), and La Quinta Country Club in the first three rounds.[8]

The tradition of choosing the tournament's "Classic Girls" from among the area's collegians began in those early years, with the earliest tournaments having a celebrity dubbed "Classic Queen." The earliest titleholders included Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell, and Jill St. John. The queens of the 1970s included Barbara Eden and Lynda Carter.

The Classic's biggest draw, both then and now, has been the celebrity Pro-am competition which has attracted some of the era's biggest celebrities. According to the official website, those celebrities have included:

The first edition in 1960 was won by Arnold Palmer at 338 (–22),[4] a record that stood for twenty years. He had won the last Thunderbird event the previous year, which had a $15,000 purse with a winner's share of $1,500.[5] The purse in 1960 was over six times larger at $100,000, and the $12,000 first prize was Palmer's biggest check to date.[4]

Hope, who was possibly Hollywood's greatest golfer, added his name to the tournament in 1965,[1] and became its chairman of the board.

The 1970s saw stars like Frank Sinatra make their debuts. Less than three weeks out of office, Gerald Ford played his first pro-am in 1977,[9] making him the second former president to play in the tournament. More recently celebrities such as Jimmy Fallon, Don Cheadle, and Samuel L. Jackson have competed in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, before its subsequent renames.

History was made at the tournament in 1995 when the pro-am team of Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Bob Hope and defending champion Scott Hoch teed up for the tournament's opening round. The event marked the first time a sitting president – Clinton – had played during a PGA Tour event and perhaps the first time three presidents had ever played together.

Its long history has made the event synonymous with golf in the Coachella Valley. Additionally, the allure of Hope's name, even after his death, has convinced the Hope estate, tournament organizers and corporate sponsor Chrysler to include the legendary entertainer's name on the tournament for as long as a substantial portion of its proceeds are given to charities.

Before 2012, the tournament's five-round format was a "tough sell" for many players, such as Tiger Woods, who has never played there. It took place over five days, four of which include celebrity players. That meant rounds take far longer and the presence of so many spectators out to catch a glimpse of their favorite TV, film or music star, can turn even an early round into a far more informal endeavor, which many golfers did not enjoy.

Starting in 2012, the tournament was narrowed to a four-round event played on three courses with a 54-hole cut. The tournament is the first continental stop of the calendar year, but is still a hard sell because network television coverage of the PGA Tour starts the ensuing week.

The tournament was called the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic until the 2009 tournament, when George Lopez was let go as host and Chrysler dropped their name from the tournament's name, but continued to sponsor the tournament. Instead, the tournament was hosted by the only 5-time winner of the event, Arnold Palmer, for the tournament's 50th anniversary. In 2010, baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra served as the first "Classic Ambassador".[10]

Professional field

The professional field consists of 156 players selected using (slightly reordered) standard eligibility rankings except that the following are also eligible:[11][12]

  1. The Players Championship winners prior to 1996
  2. PGA Tour members who played on the most recent Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams of both sides.
  3. Winners of the tournament prior to 1999 and in the previous ten seasons

There is no open qualifying for the tournament.

Tournament hosts

VenueYearsTimes
PGA West Stadium Course1987, 2016–present7
PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course2016–present6
La Quinta Country Club1964–1986, 1988, 1991–1992, 1994–1995, 1997–1998, 2000–2001, 2003, 2005–2008, 2010–present48
PGA West Palmer Course1988–1994, 1998–201525
PGA West Nicklaus Private Course2009–20157
SilverRock Resort2008–20114
Bermuda Dunes1960–2007, 200949
Classic Club2006–20083
Indian Wells Country Club Classic Course1960–200546
Tamarisk Country Club1960–1963, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2002, 200419
Indian Ridge Country Club Grove Course1995–19973
Eldorado Country Club1963–1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 198917
Thunderbird Country Club1960–19623

Winners

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upPurse
($)
Winner's
share ($)
The American Express
20248,400,0001,512,000
2023Spain Jon Rahm (2)261−271 strokeUnited States Davis Thompson8,000,0001,440,000
2022United States Hudson Swafford (2)265−232 strokesUnited States Tom Hoge7,600,0001,368,000
2021South Korea Kim Si-woo265−231 strokeUnited States Patrick Cantlay6,700,0001,206,000
2020United States Andrew Landry262−262 strokesMexico Abraham Ancer6,700,0001,206,000
Desert Classic
2019United States Adam Long262−261 strokeCanada Adam Hadwin
United States Phil Mickelson
5,900,0001,062,000
CareerBuilder Challenge
2018Spain Jon Rahm266−22PlayoffUnited States Andrew Landry5,900,0001,062,000
2017United States Hudson Swafford268−201 strokeCanada Adam Hadwin5,800,0001,044,000
2016United States Jason Dufner263−25PlayoffSweden David Lingmerth5,800,0001,044,000
Humana Challenge
2015United States Bill Haas (2)266−221 strokeUnited States Charley Hoffman
United States Matt Kuchar
South Korea Park Sung-joon
United States Brendan Steele
United States Steve Wheatcroft
5,700,0001,026,000
2014United States Patrick Reed260−282 strokesUnited States Ryan Palmer5,700,0001,026,000
2013United States Brian Gay263−25PlayoffUnited States Charles Howell III
Sweden David Lingmerth
5,600,0001,008,000
2012United States Mark Wilson264−242 strokesUnited States Robert Garrigus
United States John Mallinger
United States Johnson Wagner
5,600,0001,008,000
Bob Hope Classic
2011Venezuela Jhonattan Vegas333−27PlayoffUnited States Bill Haas
United States Gary Woodland
5,000,000900,000
2010United States Bill Haas330−301 strokeSouth Africa Tim Clark
United States Matt Kuchar
United States Bubba Watson
5,000,000900,000
2009United States Pat Perez327−333 strokesUnited States John Merrick5,100,000918,000
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
2008United States D. J. Trahan334−263 strokesUnited States Justin Leonard5,100,000918,000
2007United States Charley Hoffman343−17PlayoffUnited States John Rollins5,000,000900,000
2006United States Chad Campbell335−253 strokesSweden Jesper Parnevik
United States Scott Verplank
5,000,000900,000
2005United States Justin Leonard332−283 strokesSouth Africa Tim Clark
United States Joe Ogilvie
4,700,000846,000
2004United States Phil Mickelson (2)330−30PlayoffUnited States Skip Kendall4,500,000810,000
2003Canada Mike Weir330−302 strokesUnited States Jay Haas4,500,000810,000
2002United States Phil Mickelson330−30PlayoffUnited States David Berganio Jr.4,000,000720,000
2001United States Joe Durant324−364 strokesUnited States Paul Stankowski3,500,000630,000
2000Sweden Jesper Parnevik331−271 strokeSouth Africa Rory Sabbatini3,000,000540,000
1999United States David Duval334−261 strokeUnited States Steve Pate3,000,000540,000
1998United States Fred Couples332−28PlayoffUnited States Bruce Lietzke2,300,000414,000
1997United States John Cook (2)327−331 strokeUnited States Mark Calcavecchia1,500,000270,000
1996United States Mark Brooks337−231 strokeUnited States John Huston1,300,000234,000
1995United States Kenny Perry335−251 strokeUnited States David Duval1,200,000216,000
1994United States Scott Hoch334−263 strokesUnited States Lennie Clements
United States Jim Gallagher Jr.
United States Fuzzy Zoeller
1,100,000198,000
1993United States Tom Kite325−356 strokesUnited States Rick Fehr1,100,000198,000
1992United States John Cook336−24PlayoffUnited States Rick Fehr
United States Tom Kite
United States Mark O'Meara
United States Gene Sauers
1,100,000198,000
1991United States Corey Pavin (2)331−29PlayoffUnited States Mark O'Meara1,100,000198,000
1990United States Peter Jacobsen339−211 strokeUnited States Scott Simpson
United States Brian Tennyson
1,000,000180,000
1989United States Steve Jones343−17PlayoffUnited States Paul Azinger
Scotland Sandy Lyle
1,000,000180,000
1988United States Jay Haas338−222 strokesUnited States David Edwards1,000,000180,000
1987United States Corey Pavin341−191 strokeWest Germany Bernhard Langer900,000162,000
1986United States Donnie Hammond335−25PlayoffUnited States John Cook650,000108,000
Bob Hope Classic
1985United States Lanny Wadkins333−27PlayoffUnited States Craig Stadler555,00090,000
1984United States John Mahaffey (2)340−20PlayoffUnited States Jim Simons433,00072,000
Bob Hope Desert Classic
1983United States Keith Fergus335−25PlayoffUnited States Rex Caldwell408,00067,500
1982United States Ed Fiori335−25PlayoffUnited States Tom Kite304,50050,000
1981United States Bruce Lietzke335−252 strokesUnited States Jerry Pate304,50050,000
1980United States Craig Stadler343−172 strokesUnited States Tom Purtzer
United States Mike Sullivan
304,50050,000
1979United States John Mahaffey343−171 strokeUnited States Lee Trevino300,00050,000
1978United States Bill Rogers339−212 strokesUnited States Jerry McGee225,00045,000
1977United States Rik Massengale337−236 strokesUnited States Bruce Lietzke200,00040,000
1976United States Johnny Miller (2)344−163 strokesUnited States Rik Massengale180,00036,000
1975United States Johnny Miller339−213 strokesUnited States Bob Murphy160,00032,000
1974United States Hubert Green341−192 strokesUnited States Bert Yancey160,00032,048
1973United States Arnold Palmer (5)343−172 strokesUnited States Johnny Miller
United States Jack Nicklaus
160,00032,000
1972United States Bob Rosburg344−161 strokeUnited States Lanny Wadkins145,00029,000
1971United States Arnold Palmer (4)342−18PlayoffUnited States Raymond Floyd140,00028,000
1970Australia Bruce Devlin339−214 strokesUnited States Larry Ziegler125,00025,000
1969United States Billy Casper (2)345−153 strokesUnited States Dave Hill100,00020,000
1968United States Arnold Palmer (3)348−12PlayoffUnited States Deane Beman100,00020,000
1967United States Tom Nieporte349−111 strokeUnited States Doug Sanders88,00017,600
1966United States Doug Sanders349−11PlayoffUnited States Arnold Palmer80,00015,000
1965United States Billy Casper348−121 strokeUnited States Tommy Aaron
United States Arnold Palmer
80,00015,000
Palm Springs Golf Classic
1964United States Tommy Jacobs353−7PlayoffUnited States Jimmy Demaret50,0007,500
1963United States Jack Nicklaus345−13PlayoffSouth Africa Gary Player50,0009,000
1962United States Arnold Palmer (2)342−173 strokesUnited States Jay Hebert
United States Gene Littler
35,0005,300
1961United States Billy Maxwell345−142 strokesUnited States Doug Sanders52,0005,300
Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic
1960United States Arnold Palmer338−203 strokesUnited States Fred Hawkins70,00012,000

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Source:[13]

Multiple winners

Nine men have won this tournament more than once through 2023.

Tournament highlights

  • 1960: Arnold Palmer wins the inaugural version of the tournament by three shots over Fred Hawkins.[4][14] Joe Campbell earned $50,000 in unofficial money for scoring a hole-in-one on the fifth hole of the Tamarisk Country Club.[15]
  • 1963: Jack Nicklaus defeats Gary Player 65 to 73 in an 18-hole playoff for the tournament title.[16]
  • 1964: 53-year-old Jimmy Demaret who rarely played competitive golf any more finishes regulation play tied for first with Tommy Jacobs but loses on the second hole of sudden death.[17]
  • 1967: Club professional Tom Nieporte birdies the 90th hole to beat Doug Sanders by one shot.[18]
  • 1972: Bob Rosburg wins for the first time since the 1961 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. He beats Lanny Wadkins by one shot.[19]
  • 1973: Arnold Palmer wins the tournament for a fifth time by two shots over Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller.[20] It is Palmer's final PGA Tour triumph.
  • 1976: Johnny Miller shoots a final round 63 to successfully defend his Bob Hope title. He wins by 3 shots over Rik Massengale.[21]
  • 1980: Craig Stadler wins for the first-time on the PGA Tour. He beats Tom Purtzer and Mike Sullivan by 2 shots.[22]
  • 1982: Ed Fiori, expecting to become a first-time father any day, rolls in a 35-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Tom Kite.[23]
  • 1985: Lanny Wadkins plays the last five holes of regulation in five under par to tie Craig Stadler, then goes on to beat him on the fifth hole of a sudden death playoff.[24]
  • 1989: Steve Jones becomes the first golfer since Gil Morgan in 1983 to sweep the first two events of the PGA Tour Schedule. He defeats Paul Azinger and Sandy Lyle on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.[25]
  • 1990: Peter Jacobsen birdies the 90th hole to win the Hope by one shot[26] over Brian Tennyson and Scott Simpson after NBC golf announcer Johnny Miller talked about how easy it would have been for Jacobsen to choke his second shot to the par-5 finishing hole.[27]
  • 1991: Corey Pavin holes a 35-foot wedge shot on the first hole of sudden death to defeat Mark O'Meara.[28]
  • 1992: John Cook holes a chip shot from 100-feet to defeat Gene Sauers in sudden death. The playoff, originally composed of five players, also involved Tom Kite, Mark O'Meara, and Rick Fehr.[29]
  • 1993: Tom Kite, who had twice previously lost the tournament in playoffs, shoots 325, a PGA Tour record for 90 holes at the time. He beats Rick Fehr by 6 shots.[30]
  • 1999: David Duval shoots a final round 59 to beat Steve Pate by one shot.[31]
  • 2001 Joe Durant shoots a record score for a 90-hole PGA tournament with a 36-under-par score of 324 (65-61-67-66-65).[32]
  • 2003: Mike Weir birdies the final three holes to win by two shots over Jay Haas.[33]
  • 2009: Pat Perez shoots 124 to set a new PGA Tour record for the first 36 holes of a tournament.[34] He goes on to win the Hope by three shots over John Merrick.[35]
  • 2011: In just his fifth PGA Tour start and second as a Tour member, Jhonattan Vegas became the first Venezuelan to win on the PGA Tour. It was also the last year the tournament was a five-round event.
  • 2014: Patrick Reed shot 63s in his first three rounds, a PGA Tour record 27-under-par for 54 holes.
  • 2017: Adam Hadwin shot a 59 in the third round. He is the first Canadian on the PGA Tour to accomplish this and only the third player to shoot 59 on a par-72 course.

Records

Timeline of courses used

Legend:
  Used in the pre-cut rota and the final round
  Used only in the pre-cut rota
  Used only in the final round

Television broadcast and cable history

From the mid-1960s through 1998, NBC broadcast the fourth and fifth rounds of the tournament. ABC took over the coverage in 1999 through 2006, with CBS covering the tournament in 2003 due to ABC's involvement with Super Bowl XXXVII.

On the cable side, the first three rounds were covered by ESPN through 2002. From 2003–06, USA Network covered the early action.

Beginning in 2007, the tournament lost its network coverage and the Golf Channel showed all five rounds on cable television. Even with the move to four rounds and the reduction in celebrity involvement, the tournament is still exclusive to cable, as it is usually the last full-field stop restricted to cable-only coverage, as network television coverage of the PGA Tour currently does not begin until the week after the NFL's Conference Championship Games, which is the week before the Super Bowl.

Coverage style

Prior to 2007, USA and ESPN/ABC consistently covered all four courses used for the event, with the primary camera crew covering PGA West, but live coverage still emanating from the other courses. However, when Golf Channel took over coverage, the network only assigned live coverage to PGA West (both the Palmer and Nicklaus courses). All other courses used did not receive live coverage at all, with an hourly highlights package sent in and played, but none of it live. This has been the approach consistently taken by Golf Channel in regards to tournaments with multiple courses, including the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the Walt Disney World Golf Classic.

References

  1. 1 2 "Casper wins by stroke". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. February 8, 1965. p. 3B via Google News Archive.
  2. "George Lopez' comments show his days as Desert Classic host still stir emotions".
  3. Bohannan, Larry (January 11, 2020). "Desert Classic Charities' exit clears way for new American Express charity model". Desert Sun. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Palmer wins title". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. February 8, 1960. p. 3B via Google News Archive.
  5. 1 2 "Palmer victor in Thunderbird". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 26, 1959. p. 2B via Google News Archive.
  6. "The Quiet End of Celebrity-Named Tour Events". Armchair Golf Blog. July 5, 2011.
  7. 1 2 "Classic club out of Bob Hope Chrysler Classic". The Desert Sun. August 1, 2008.
  8. "First Look: CareerBuilder Challenge". PGA Tour.
  9. "Leaders playing away from Ford". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. February 10, 1977. p. 4B via Google News Archive.
  10. "Berra an 'ambassador' at Hope Classic". ESPN. Associated Press. December 15, 2009.
  11. "2015-2016 PGA Tour Eligibility Ranking". Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  12. "2015–16 PGA Tour Player Handbook & Tournament Regulations" (PDF). October 5, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2016.
  13. "Bob Hope Chrysler Classic – Tournament winners". Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
  14. "Palmer Wins Palm Springs Golf Classic".
  15. "Campbell Collects 50,000 For Ace In Desert Classic".
  16. "Nicklaus Routs Player; Wins Palm Springs Open".
  17. "Springs Golf Goes To Jacobs".
  18. "Tom Nieporte Wins Hope Golf Classic".
  19. "Rosburg Wins Bob Hope Classic".
  20. "Palmer ends drought with rain-soaked win".
  21. "No Hope for the rest- overdue Miller has 63".
  22. "Stadler stays cool; cops Classic golf win".
  23. "Ed Fiori wins Bob Hope title in sudden death".
  24. "Wadkins rallies to win Hope golf".
  25. "Jones Grabs Second Straight In Bob Hope Chrysler Win".
  26. "Jacobsen ends slump, wins Bob Hope Classic".
  27. "Miller to continue controversial style".
  28. "Pavin wins Hope Classic".
  29. "Cook's chip-in eagle wins Bob Hope Classic".
  30. "Kite fires 35 under to win Hope Classic". Archived from the original on July 12, 2012.
  31. "Duval has record-tying 59 en route to Bob Hope victory".
  32. 1 2 Kelley, Brent. "PGA Tour Scoring Record: Lowest 90-Hole Stroke Total". About.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  33. "Weir bags Bob Hope win". BBC Sport. February 3, 2003.
  34. "Hot Perez 20 under through two rounds". ESPN. Associated Press. January 22, 2009.
  35. "Perez captures his first title". Herald Sun.

33°38′35″N 116°16′05″W / 33.643°N 116.268°W / 33.643; -116.268

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