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Quality is the theme of this year's West Coast Swing. While the quantity of tournaments in our corner of the world has been reduced recently, area fans still have three chances in the next two months to see some of golf's top players. The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in the Palm Springs area remains one of the most spectator-friendly events on the calendar. The Buick Invitational in La Jolla is one of the most viewed non-major tournaments of the year, and with Torrey Pines set to host the U.S. Open in July, an even stronger field is expected to compete. The Northern Trust Open (formerly the Nissan Open) annually hosts one of the tour's top fields, mainly because it's played on one of the country's most revered courses - Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. Here's a quick primer for what to expect. Bob Hope Chrysler Classic When: January 16-20. Where: The Classic Club, Palm Desert (host course); La Quinta Country Club, Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West, and SilverRock Resort, each in La Quinta. Purse: $5.1 million. Tickets and more information: Single day $15 to $25; clubhouse badges $75. (760) 346-8184 or bhcc.com. Last year: Charley Hoffman eagled the final hole to force a playoff with John Rollins. Hoffman's birdie on the first extra hole earned him his first PGA Tour victory. The final round at the Classic Club was impacted by howling winds, with the cumulative scoring average of 74.76 the highest in tournament history. What's new: SilverRock Resort has been added to the 90-hole rotation. The Arnold Palmer-designed course includes three holes longer than 600 yards, four par 4s longer than 470 yards, and a total length of 7,587 yards. Also new this year will be the three-story Tuscan-inspired clubhouse at the Classic Club, which opened in November. Notable: Celebrities play SilverRock Wednesday, La Quinta Country Club Thursday, the Palmer Course Friday, and the Classic Club Saturday. ... George Lopez returns as celebrity host after luring celebrities such as Clint Eastwood, Andy Garcia and Jimmy Kimmel during his debut duties last year. ... More than $1.5 million for 35 Coachella Valley charities was raised last year, bringing the total raised in the event's history to just under $44 million. Bet you didn't know: Last year's playoff was the 17th time in 47 years that the tournament ended in that fashion. Among the notable playoff winners are five-time champion Arnold Palmer, Fred Couples, Corey Pavin, John Cook and Jack Nicklaus. Buick Invitational When: January 24-27. Where: Torrey Pines Golf Course, La Jolla. Purse: $5.2 million. Last year: Tiger Woods became the first golfer to win three consecutive Buick Invitationals, storming back from three down with a final-round 66. Tickets and information: Single day $20-$25, $15 for seniors; weekly badge $100. (619) 281-4653 or buickinvitational.com. What's new: The course continues to be enhanced in preparation for the U.S. Open in June. But the biggest boost likely will be the field. Tournament organizers expect even more top international players to come, especially those who haven't played the course before. Notable: The Buick was the most viewed non-major golf event on the PGA calendar last year. ... Southern California natives have dominated the event since 1993. Tiger Woods has won five titles, Phil Mickelson has won three times, and Craig Stadler, Scott Simpson and Mark O'Meara each have recorded a victory. ... Only one foreign-born player has won in the past four decades: Jose Maria Olazabal in 2002. Bet you didn't know: Brandt Snedeker, last year's first-round leader after a blistering 61, finished third. He was later named the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year. Northern Trust Open When: February 14-17. Where: Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades. Purse: $6.2 million. Tickets and information: Single day $25; clubhouse badge $80. (800) 752-6736 or northerntrustopen.com. Last year: Charles Howell III defeated Phil Mickelson for his first PGA Tour victory in more than four years. What's new: The name. For the first time since 1989, the Los Angeles stop on the PGA Tour will not be known as the Nissan Open. Northern Trust signed a sponsorship deal through 2012. It's the sixth official name change for the tournament, which started in 1926 as the Los Angeles Open. The hospitality tents will be upgraded, and the shuttle from the VA Hospital parking lot to the course will now be free. The purse also has increased to $6.2 million, and the Wednesday pro-am will feature three amateurs with every pro instead of four. Notable: Last year's tournament had the second best field of any non-major event on the calendar, with 10 of the top 12 players in the world competing. Some of that had to do with the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship that followed the event in Tucson. The same schedule is set for this year. Bet you didn't know: Riviera Country Club has withstood the best efforts of at least four of the world's top golfers. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have never won a professional event there. Palmer won three Los Angeles Opens, but they were played at Rancho Park Golf Club. |
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