Sports

PGA Tour

PGA - Humana Challenge Preview

From The Sports Network

DATES: Thursday, January 17th through Sunday, January 20th

SITE: PGA West (Arnold Palmer Private Course), La Quinta, California

La Quinta Country Club, La Quinta, California

PGA West (Jack Nicklaus Private Course), La Quinta, California

COURSE ARCHITECT: Arnold Palmer (PGA West-Palmer, 1987)

Lawrence Hughes (La Quinta, 1959)

Jack Nicklaus (PGA West-Nicklaus, 1987)

PAR: 72

YARDAGE: 6,950 (PGA West - Palmer Course)

Hole-By-Hole:	1 - Par 4 426 Yds	10 - Par 4 453 Yds
	2 - Par 5 514 Yds	11 - Par 5 512 Yds
	3 - Par 3 180 Yds	12 - Par 3 207 Yds
	4 - Par 4 396 Yds	13 - Par 4 447 Yds
	5 - Par 3 233 Yds	14 - Par 5 569 Yds
	6 - Par 5 562 Yds	15 - Par 3 156 Yds
	7 - Par 4 439 Yds	16 - Par 4 364 Yds
	8 - Par 4 358 Yds	17 - Par 3 130 Yds
	9 - Par 4 461 Yds	18 - Par 5 543 Yds
	-------------	-------------
	36 3,569 Yds	36 3,381 Yds

PAR: 72

YARDAGE: 7,060 (La Quinta)

Hole-By-Hole:	1 - Par 4 382 Yds	10 - Par 4 405 Yds
	2 - Par 4 434 Yds	11 - Par 5 543 Yds
	3 - Par 3 202 Yds	12 - Par 3 202 Yds
	4 - Par 4 384 Yds	13 - Par 5 547 Yds
	5 - Par 5 516 Yds	14 - Par 4 469 Yds
	6 - Par 5 527 Yds	15 - Par 3 206 Yds
	7 - Par 3 168 Yds	16 - Par 4 454 Yds
	8 - Par 4 389 Yds	17 - Par 4 421 Yds
	9 - Par 4 399 Yds	18 - Par 4 412 Yds
	-------------	-------------
	36 3,401 Yds	36 3,659 Yds

PAR: 72

YARDAGE: 6,924 (PGA West - Nicklaus Course)

Hole-By-Hole:	1 - Par 4 374 Yds	10 - Par 4 412 Yds
	2 - Par 4 414 Yds	11 - Par 3 191 Yds
	3 - Par 3 177 Yds	12 - Par 4 403 Yds
	4 - Par 5 538 Yds	13 - Par 5 528 Yds
	5 - Par 4 443 Yds	14 - Par 4 375 Yds
	6 - Par 4 406 Yds	15 - Par 4 415 Yds
	7 - Par 3 140 Yds	16 - Par 5 530 Yds
	8 - Par 5 509 Yds	17 - Par 3 204 Yds
	9 - Par 4 410 Yds	18 - Par 4 455 Yds
	-------------	-------------
	36 3,411 Yds	36 3,513 Yds

Annual:	54th
Television:	Golf Channel - Thursday/Sunday -- 3-7 p.m. (et),
	- Thursday -- 7:30-10:30 p.m. (et) - replay,
	- Friday/Sunday -- 10 p.m.-1 a.m. (et) - replay
Defending Champion:	Mark Wilson
Runner-Up:	Johnson Wagner, John Mallinger, Robert Garrigus
90-Hole Record:	324 (Joe Durant, 2001)
72-Hole Record:	255 (Steve Stricker, 2009)
54-Hole Record:	191 (Pat Perez, 2009)
36-Hole Record:	124 (Pat Perez, 2009)
Course Record:	59 (David Duval, 1999 - PGA West-Palmer Course)
	61 (Lennie Clements, 1994 - La Quinta)
	61 (Charlie Wi, 2009; Robert Garrigus,
	Ryan Moore, 2012 - PGA West-Nicklaus Course)
Total Purse:	$5,600,000
Shares:	1st Place - $1,008,000; 2nd Place - $604,800; 3rd Place - $380,800

2012 Finish
Player	Score	Player	Score
Mark Wilson	264	John Senden	268
Johnson Wagner	266	David Toms	268
Robert Garrigus	266	Four players at	269
John Mallinger	266
Jeff Maggert	267

Past Humana Challenge Winners
Year	Winner (Score) -- Runners-Up
2012	Mark Wilson (264) -- Johnson Wagner, Robert Garrigus, John Mallinger
2011	*Jhonattan Vegas (333) -- Bill Haas, Gary Woodland
2010	Bill Haas (330) -- Matt Kuchar, Tim Clark, Bubba Watson
2009	Pat Perez (327) -- John Merrick
2008	D.J. Trahan (334) -- Justin Leonard
2007	*Charley Hoffman (343) -- John Rollins
2006	Chad Campbell (335) -- Jesper Parnevik, Scott Verplank
2005	Justin Leonard (332) -- Tim Clark, Joe Ogilvie
2004	*Phil Mickelson (330) -- Skip Kendall
2003	Mike Weir (330) -- Jay Haas
2002	*Phil Mickelson (330) -- David Berganio Jr
2001	Joe Durant (324) -- Paul Stankowski
2000	Jesper Parnevik (331) -- Rory Sabbatini
1999	David Duval (334) -- Steve Pate
1998	*Fred Couples (332) -- Bruce Lietzke
1997	John Cook (327) -- Mark Calcavecchia
1996	Mark Brooks (337) -- John Huston
1995	Kenny Perry (335) -- David Duval
1994	Scott Hoch (334) -- Lennie Clements, Jim Gallagher Jr, Fuzzy Zoeller
1993	Tom Kite (325) -- Rick Fehr
1992	*John Cook (336) -- Rick Fehr, Tom Kite, Mark O'Meara, Gene Sauers
1991	*Corey Pavin (331) -- Mark O'Meara
1990	Peter Jacobsen (339) -- Scott Simpson, Brian Tennyson
1989	*Steve Jones (343) -- Paul Azinger, Sandy Lyle
1988	Jay Haas (338) -- David Edwards
1987	Corey Pavin (341) -- Bernhard Langer
1986	*Donnie Hammond (335) -- John Cook
1985	*Lanny Wadkins (333) -- Craig Stadler
1984	*John Mahaffey (340) -- Jim Simons
1983	*Keith Fergus (335) -- Rex Caldwell
1982	*Ed Fiori (335) -- Tom Kite
1981	Bruce Lietzke (335) -- Jerry Pate
1980	Craig Stadler (343) -- Tom Purtzer, Mike Sullivan
1979	John Mahaffey (343) -- Lee Trevino
1978	Bill Rogers (339) -- Jerry McGee
1977	Rik Massengale (337) -- Bruce Lietzke
1976	Johnny Miller (344) -- Rik Massengale
1975	Johnny Miller (339) -- Bob Murphy
1974	Hubert Green (341) -- Bert Yancey
1973	Arnold Palmer (343) -- Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus
1972	Bob Rosburg (344) -- Lanny Wadkins
1971	*Arnold Palmer (342) -- Ray Floyd
1970	Bruce Devlin (339) -- Larry Ziegler
1969	Billy Casper (345) -- Dave Hill
1968	*Arnold Palmer (348) -- Deane Beman
1967	Tom Nieporte (349) -- Doug Sanders
1966	*Doug Sanders (349) -- Arnold Palmer
1965	Billy Casper (348) -- Tommy Aaron, Arnold Palmer
1964	*Tommy Jacobs (348) -- Jimmy Demaret
1963	*Jack Nicklaus (345) -- Gary Player
1962	Arnold Palmer (342) -- Jay Hebert, Gene Littler
1961	Billy Maxwell (345) -- Doug Sanders
1960	Arnold Palmer (338) -- Fred Hawkins

* - Won in Playoff

Note:Formerly called Bob Hope Classic (2009-11), Bob Hope Chrysler Classic

(1986-2008), Bob Hope Classic (1984-85), Bob Hope Desert Classic (1965-83) and Palm Springs Golf Classic (1960-64).

Top Contenders in the Field
Player	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
Mark Wilson	---	---	---	---	T-33	---	mc	---	T-61	Won
John Mallinger	---	---	---	---	mc	---	T-25	mc	---	T-2
Johnson Wagner	---	---	---	---	T-13	T-38	mc	mc	---	T-2
Robert Garrigus	---	---	---	T-19	mc	---	T-14	---	---	T-2
David Toms	T-51	---	T-29	---	---	---	T-25	T-42	T-33	T-6
Brandt Snedeker	---	---	---	---	T-60	---	---	T-10	mc	T-8
Zach Johnson	---	T-20	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	T-8
Martin Laird	---	---	---	---	---	T-56	T-54	mc	T-22	T-14
Pat Perez	T-6	mc	T-61	73rd	---	---	Won	T-26	T-54	T-14
Steve Marino	---	---	---	---	T-60	T-29	T-25	---	T-66	T-19
Matt Kuchar	---	---	---	---	T-27	mc	T-25	T-2	T-7	T-22
Kevin Na	---	T-47	wd	---	73rd	T-66	mc	T-8	T-5	T-30
Brian Gay	mc	---	mc	T-44	T-53	T-38	T-19	T-15	T-5	T-42
Carl Pettersson	---	T-50	mc	T-35	mc	mc	---	T-39	---	T-42
Charles Howell III	mc	mc	---	---	T-65	---	---	T-26	T-13	T-49
Phil Mickelson	T-6	Won	T-12	T-5	T-45	---	---	---	---	T-49
Justin Leonard	T-8	T-30	Won	T-35	mc	2nd	T-42	mc	T-13	T-54
Jeff Overton	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	T-48	T-54	T-54
Bo Van Pelt	---	mc	mc	---	---	---	T-5	T-26	mc	T-54
Bill Haas	---	---	T-34	T-19	T-27	T-16	T-25	Won	T-2	T-64
John Rollins	---	---	---	T-53	2nd	mc	mc	---	T-72	T-66
Jhonattan Vegas	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	Won	mc
Chad Campbell	T-28	T-56	---	Won	mc	T-50	T-9	mc	T-48	mc
D.J. Trahan	---	---	---	mc	mc	Won	T-14	7th	T-61	mc
Charley Hoffman	---	---	---	---	Won	T-8	T-19	mc	mc	mc
Webb Simpson	---	---	---	---	---	---	T-5	T-33	T-13	---
Mike Weir	Won	T-41	mc	T-5	T-48	T-56	T-3	6th	mc	---
Tim Clark	---	---	T-2	T-62	---	---	T-5	T-2	---	---
Russell Henley	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---

Sports Network Selections

Pick to Win - Brandt Snedeker
Darkhorse - Tim Clark

Last Week's Pick to Win (Carl Pettersson) - Finished tied for 59th
Last Week's Darkhorse (Tommy Gainey) - Finished tied for 36th

NOTES:The third stop on the 2013 PGA Tour calendar has the players making

their annual visit to La Quinta, California, for the Humana Classic. This event was previously known as the Bob Hope Classic. The format for the tournament is pro-am play for the first 54 holes. On Sunday, the low-70 pros and ties will play the final round on the Palmer Private Course at PGA West.

The tournament continues to honor the legacy of Bob Hope by awarding the Bob Hope Memorial Trophy to the champion. Hope, who passed away in 2003, had been associated with this tournament since 1965 and helped raise millions of dollars for the Eisenhower Medical Center and other local charities. In 53 years, the tournament has donated more than $50 million to local charities throughout the Coachella Valley.

Six of the top 25 players in the world are playing this week, led by world No. 8 Brandt Snedeker, the 2012 FedExCup champion. He is joined by 2012 U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson (15), Phil Mickelson (19), who is making his season debut, 2012 Players champion Matt Kuchar (22), Bo Van Pelt (23) and Zach Johnson (25).

The Palmer Private Course at PGA West was designed by Arnold Palmer and opened for play in 1987. The other courses being played this year are La Quinta Country Club and the Nicklaus Private Course at PGA West.

Some of the celebrity amateurs scheduled to appear are: Anthony Anderson, Ronde Barber, Michael Bolton, Alice Cooper, Carson Daly, Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Grant Fuhr, Michael Pena, Craig T. Nelson and Ozzie Smith.

Last year, Mark Wilson birdied two of the last three holes in the final round to win by two strokes over Johnson Wagner, Robert Garrigus and John Mallinger. Wilson finished at 24-under-par 264 for his fifth PGA Tour title, including his third since the start of the 2011 campaign. Wilson will be looking to join Johnny Miller (1975-76) as the only players to win this title back-to-back.

In 2011, Jhonattan Vegas parred the second playoff hole to defeat Gary Woodland and 2010 champion Bill Haas to earn his first PGA Tour victory. The trio finished at 27-under 333. Vegas earned his first PGA Tour victory in only his second start as a member of the tour. He became the first player from Venezuela to win on the PGA Tour and first rookie to win this tournament. Seven players -- Bill Rogers (1978), Craig Stadler (1980), Donnie Hammond (1986), Charley Hoffman (2007), Pat Perez (2009), Haas (2010) and Vegas (2011) -- earned their first PGA Tour titles at this event.

Haas hit a gutsy 3-iron into the 18th green in the final round and two-putted for a birdie to win in 2010, capturing his first PGA Tour title in 141 career starts. Haas fired an 8-under 64 in the final round to beat Kuchar, Tim Clark and Bubba Watson by one shot at 30-under 330. He wasn't the first Haas to win the Hope, as his father, 9-time PGA Tour winner Jay Haas, also captured the tournament in 1988. They became the eighth father-son duo to win on the PGA Tour. Haas' first place check was $900,000 -- $720,000 more than his father earned in 1988 for winning the same tournament. The Haas' became the fourth father-son duo to win the same tournament, joining Willie Park and Willie Park Jr. (British Open), Tom Morris Sr. and Tom Morris Jr. (British Open) and Al and Brent Geiberger (Greensboro).

In 2009, Perez knocked his second shot to two feet to set up a closing eagle in the final round en route to his first PGA Tour victory. Perez finished the tournament at 33-under 327 and won by three over John Merrick. Perez established new 36-hole (124) and 54-hole (191) records.

Hoffman two-putted for birdie on the first playoff hole in 2007 to defeat John Rollins and earn his first PGA Tour title. Hoffman finished regulation birdie- eagle to post a 1-under 71 and get into the clubhouse at 17-under-par 343. The 343 total was the highest winning total since Steve Jones posted 343 in 1989.

This event is the only tournament to be won by a left-hander three years in a row - Mickelson in 2002, Mike Weir in 2003 and Mickelson again in 2004. When David Duval carded his final-round 59 to win the 1999 Hope, he became only the third player to break 60 on the PGA Tour, joining Al Geiberger and Chip Beck in that elite category. Paul Goydos and Stuart Appleby became the fourth and fifth players to shoot 59 in 2010.

There have been 18 playoffs since the event's inception in 1960, including 13 since 1982. Palmer was involved in three playoffs, losing to Doug Sanders in 1966 before defeating Deane Beman in 1968 and Raymond Floyd in 1971. Palmer is a five-time winner and made his 41st and final appearance in 2002. Palmer and Mickelson are the only players in tournament history to win two playoffs. The Bob Hope was the site of Palmer's last PGA Tour victory in 1973. In 2001, Palmer shot his age of 71 during the fourth round, the first time a player had shot his age in a PGA Tour event since 1979 when Sam Snead accomplished the feat when he carded rounds of 66 and 67 at the Quad Cities Open at the age of 67. Other multiple winners are: Billy Casper (1965, 69), Miller (1975-76), John Mahaffey (1979, 84), Corey Pavin (1987, 91), John Cook (1992, 97) and Mickelson (2002, 04). There have only been two wire-to-wire winners: Rik Massengale (1977) and Bruce Lietzke (1981).

Fred Couples has made the cut in 23 of his 24 appearances, which places him second all-time in cuts made. Peter Jacobsen ranks first with 24 cuts made. The only missed cut for Couples was in 1999 in defense of his title. Casper owns tournament records of 19 consecutive cuts made and most top-10 finishes with 12.

The PGA Tour continues its West Coast swing next week in La Jolla, California for the Farmers Insurance Open, where Snedeker captured the event last year. World No. 2 Tiger Woods is expected to make his PGA Tour season debut.

01/15 16:08:06 ET

As of January 15, 2013, at 04:08 PM ET