Everything about The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic totally explained
The
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic is a professional
golf tournament played each January in California's
Coachella Valley. Part of the
PGA Tour's early season West Coast Swing, this tournament is well known for its celebrity pro-am, as well as having five daily 18-hole rounds of competition vs. the
PGA Tour standard of four rounds. Currently, "the Hope" is the third event on the Tour's annual schedule, and is also part of the Tour's
FedEx Cup competition.
History
Founded as the
Palm Springs Golf Classic in 1960, the tournament evolved from the
Thunderbird Invitational that was held in Palm Springs from 1954 to 1959. Its format remains unique among PGA Tour events, being played over five days and four different courses. From 1960-62, the tournament was played at Thunderbird Country Club and Tamarisk Country Club, both in
Rancho Mirage, California; Bermuda Dunes Country Club in
Bermuda Dunes, California; and Indian Wells Country Club in
Indian Wells, California. Bermuda Dunes has been used every year of the event and Indian Wells every year until 2006, but the roster of courses from which the event has chosen the other two courses to be played has evolved over the years. In 1963, Eldorado Country Club, also in
Indian Wells, California, replaced Thunderbird Country Club. From 1964 until 1968, La Quinta Country Club in
La Quinta, California 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, California (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, California 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, California, 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. The 2008 course rotation will consist of SilverRock Resort in La Quinta, La Quinta Country Club, the Arnold Palmer Private Course and The Classic Club.
The tradition of choosing the tournament's "Classic Girls" from among the area's collegiates 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, was the celebrity
Pro-Am competition which attracted some of the era's biggest celebrities. According to the BHCC official website, those celebrities included:
The first tournament was won by
Arnold Palmer with a final score of 338, or 22 under par. The record would stand for the next twenty years.
Bob Hope, who was possibly Hollywood's greatest golfer, added his name to the tournament in 1965 and became the Classic's Chairman of the Board.
The 1970s saw stars like
Frank Sinatra make their debuts.
Gerald Ford played his first pro-am in 1977, making him the second former president to play in the tournament.
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.
For 2007, the purse and 1st prize are $5,000,000 and $900,000 respectively.
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.
The tournament's format is also a tough sell for many players, such as
Tiger Woods, who has never played there. It takes place over five days, four of which include celebrity players. That means 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 don't appreciate.
Winners
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
2008 D. J. Trahan
2007 Charley Hoffman
2006 Chad Campbell
2005 Justin Leonard
2004 Phil Mickelson
2003 Mike Weir
2002 Phil Mickelson
2001 Joe Durant
2000 Jesper Parnevik
1999 David Duval
1998 Fred Couples
1997 John Cook
1996 Mark Brooks
1995 Kenny Perry
1994 Scott Hoch
1993 Tom Kite
1992 John Cook
1991 Corey Pavin
1990 Peter Jacobsen
1989 Steve Jones
1988 Jay Haas
1987 Corey Pavin
1986 Donnie Hammond
Bob Hope Classic
1985 Lanny Wadkins
1984 John Mahaffey
Bob Hope Desert Classic
1983 Keith Fergus
1982 Ed Fiori
1981 Bruce Lietzke
1980 Craig Stadler
1979 John Mahaffey
1978 Bill Rogers
1977 Rik Massengale
1976 Johnny Miller
1975 Johnny Miller
1974 Hubert Green
1973 Arnold Palmer
1972 Bob Rosburg
1971 Arnold Palmer
1970 Bruce Devlin
1969 Billy Casper
1968 Arnold Palmer
1967 Tom Nieporte
1966 Doug Sanders
1965 Billy Casper
Palm Springs Golf Classic
1964 Tommy Jacobs
1963 Jack Nicklaus
1962 Arnold Palmer
1961 Billy Maxwell
Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic
1960 Arnold Palmer
Multiple winners
Seven men have won this tournament more than once through 2007.
5 wins
2 wins
Records
Low 18-Hole Record 59 - David Duval (1999)
Low 36-Hole Record 126 - Joe Durant (2001)
Low 54-Hole Record 193 - Joe Durant (2001), Joe Ogilvie (2005)
Low 72-Hole Record 259 - Joe Durant (2001)
Low 90-Hole Record 324 - Joe Durant (2001) (PGA Tour Record)
High Winning Score 349 - Doug Sanders (1966), Tom Nieporte (1967)
High Finish by Winner 72 - Billy Casper (1965)
Low Finish by Winner 59 - David Duval (1999)
Low Start by Winner 63 - Jay Haas (1988)
High Start by Winner 76 - Tom Nieporte (1967), Steve Jones (1989)
Largest Victory Margin 6 strokes - Rik Massengale (1977),Tom Kite (1993)
Low Cut 276 - 11-under-par (2000) (PGA Tour Record)
Wire to Wire Winners - Rik Massengale (1977), Bruce Lietzke (1981)
Best Turn Around - Jonathan Kaye (1999) 2nd - 83 3rd - 62
Television broadcast and cable history
From the mid-1960s through 1988, NBC broadcast the fourth and fifth rounds of the tournament. ABC took over the coverage in 1999 through 2002 and 2004 through 2006, with CBS covering the tournament in 2003. Beginning in 2007, the Golf Channel showed all five rounds on cable television.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Bob Hope Chrysler Classic'.
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