LA QUINTA, Calif. — Greg Norman hadn’t played the Bob Hope Desert Classic since 1986, and he had no plans to return to the venerable tournament until Bill Clinton changed his mind.
“I got a phone call I could never say no to, and there’s no question about that,” the Australian said Wednesday. “We had a very frank conversation about the opportunities and the format, and how the tournament can be resurrected. … The Bob Hope was such an iconic event. We hate to see events like that disappear.”
After several slow years threatened the future of this pro-am, the tournament is back with a new name, a slick format and a better field.
The Humana Challenge might have lost Hope, but it gained Clinton — who’s from a town called Hope.
After gaining its first title sponsor in four years, the tournament dropped its fifth day of competition and eliminated one venue from its four-course rotation. The field features fewer amateur playing partners to annoy the pros, and the purse grew to $5.6 million.
The changes are designed to attract bigger names to an event that many pros have skipped in recent years.
So far, the Humana field is much healthier: Phil Mickelson will start his season here today, as will world No. 8 Dustin Johnson and No. 11 Matt Kuchar.
“Pretty much everything about coming out here, I really enjoy,” said Kuchar
The tournament also forged a partnership with the Clinton Foundation, which returns a presidential feel to an event once played by Dwight Eisenhower and Gerald Ford. Clinton will play with Norman on Saturday.
The event’s revival is welcome news to fans who had traditionally thought of it featuring movie stars rubbing elbows and trading swing tips with the world’s best golfers.
After 52 years as a five-round event played over four courses, the tournament dropped back to a four-round format this year.
The winner gets just over $1 million.
The field of amateurs is down from 380 to 144, with two pros and two amateurs in each group instead of three amateurs with a pro the first four days.
“I think that what kept people from coming maybe in the past (besides the five days), was the 12 different amateurs,” said Kuchar, who said he loves the pro-am format. “It’s not for everybody, for sure. I think the new format is much more appealing to everybody.”
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