Bob Hope Classic: The Once Must-Play Tournament Lacks Appeal

And in other golf action this week, the PGA Tour will be in LaQuinta, Calif., for the 52nd playing of the Bob Hope Classic.

It just doesn't seem fair, but that's where the once-proud event finds itself: in only slightly better health than its namesake. When the five-round, 90-hole pro-am event begins Wednesday, it will be playing second fiddle to the European Tour's Abu Dhabi Championship, the week's big-boy gathering that will draw six of the world's top 10 players, and 12 of the top 25, including world No. 1 Lee Westwood and American favorite Phil Mickelson.

The Hope, meanwhile, has six of the top 50 (Matt Kuchar, Tim Clark, Bubba Watson, Bo Van Pelt, Ryan Moore and Stewart Cink). Kuchar, at 13th, is the highest-ranked player and the only player from the top 25. There was a time that the Hope was a must-play during the West Coast Swing. But players simply do not like five rounds that (because of amateur partners) last six hours in historically foul weather.

Then there's the Abu Dhabi appearance money.

The result is, for a third straight year the Hope is being played without a title sponsor.

FLASHBACK

After 140 PGA Tour career events, what's another six days and five rounds? Bill Haas picked up his first career victory in last year's Bob Hope Classic, winning the Monday finish 30 under with a final-round 64, one shot better than Matt Kuchar, Tim Clark and Bubba Watson. To make it happen, Haas birdied the last of the week's 90 holes, knocking in a shot putt set up by a 3-iron second shot to the par-5 hole.

"I'd been wanting to win from the first tournament I played, but it's a process, and there's a lot to it," said Haas, a touted rookie in 2006.

"It's special, but I don't know if it's a monkey off my back. I know how hard it was to win, and I'm grateful."

Not only was it Haas's first title, it came at an event his father, Jay, won in 1988. Even better, because rain forced the finish to be pushed back one day, the elder Haas had enough time to finish play Sunday on the Champions Tour and make it to La Quinta in time to witness the moment. "To win the same tournament I won is special, and then for me to get to see it -- that's really special," said Jay.

"It's definitely neat that down the road, 22 years from now, we can look at both our names on the list here," Bill Haas said. "I'm not trying to compare myself to him. He's almost unreachable."

THE GOLF COURSE

Actually, it's golf courses -- four of them.

The Hope will use the La Quinta CC (par 72, 7,060 yards), Palmer Private at PGA West (72, 930) Palmer Course at SilverRock Resort (72, 7,553), and Nicklaus Private at PGA West (72, 6,995).

The PGA West Palmer Course is where in 1999 David Duval shot 59, recording one eagle and 11 birdies in the final round on the PGA West Palmer to win by one shot over Steve Pate.

Whoever wins Sunday will have to have made a lot of birdies and more than a few eagles. Mickelson made 37 birdies in 2004. Justin Leonard had 33 of them in 2005 and D.J. Trahan made 35 in 2008. Haas made 34 birdies last year.

The 37 Mickelson collected in 2004 tied Tom Kite for the most anyone has ever made in a PGA Tour event. Quite possibly, that record could go down, because, finally, the tournament week has an almost-perfect weather forecast.

WORTH NOTING

Although not getting much respect, the field does feature 10 of the Classic's past 11 champions.

INSULT TO INJURY

You know something is wrong when ... Anthony Kim, who was given a sponsor exemption in 2007, finished T3rd in 2009, then skipped the Hope last year to play Abu Dhabi, and is in the area this week and not bothering to play.

Kim will be in the Palm Springs area practicing at a nearby club.

BY THE NUMBERS

1: 90-hole event played on the PGA Tour.

3: Hope champions who were first-time Tour winners in last four years.

4: Players who competed in the 2010 Ryder Cup: Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson, Jeff Overton and Stewart Cink.

11: PGA Tour 2011 rookies yet to play first event.

20: Hope tournament appearances by actor Tom Dressen, the fourth most behind Bob Hope, Gerald Ford and Lawrence Welk.


AND OUR WINNER IS ...

Lee Westwood steps up and validates his world No. 1 ranking. In the Abu Dhabi field that includes Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy and Louis Oosthuizen, the Englishmen gets his season started right.