Wednesday pro-am will feature first-of-its-kind opportunity for couples
LA QUINTA, CA – Along with its new name, new format, new trophy, and innovative new focus on health and well-being, the Humana Challenge (formerly the Bob Hope Classic) will feature two additional pro-ams in 2012, including a trailblazing event for couples only.
The pro-am on Wednesday, Jan. 18, “The Couples Challenge Pro/Am,” is the first of its kind on the PGA TOUR. Entrance fee for couples teams will be $6,000 for the competition on the Nicklaus Private Course at PGA WEST. Also, a “Bob Hope Legacy Pro/Am” is scheduled Monday, Jan. 16 at the Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST, with a fee of $4,000. Professionals competing in the Humana Challenge will partner with the amateurs in both pro-ams. Among the benefits for participating amateurs is access to the Humana Challenge opening party and jam session. Proceeds from both pro-ams benefit Humana Challenge charities. The Monday and Wednesday pro-ams will be in addition to the pro-am taking place during the first three rounds (Jan. 19-21) of the Humana Challenge. As in previous tournaments, the Sunday, Jan. 22 final round will be pros only. Next year’s tournament will be the week of Jan. 16-22, with live and replay tournament coverage on Golf Channel. To reserve pro-am berths, please call Cameron Smith at 760-346-8302.
“We’re very excited to be able to offer these special opportunities to amateurs that have supported our event for many years, as well as newcomers that would like to experience the fun at our revamped tournament,” said Larry Thiel, Humana Challenge tournament chairman. “The concept of having couples compete is unique and we anticipate a tremendous response from within and outside the Coachella Valley.”
It was previously announced the PGA TOUR and host organization Desert Classic Charities (DCC) have reached an eight-year agreement with new title sponsor Humana and the William J. Clinton Foundation. While taking a new focus on healthy lifestyle practices, the Humana Challenge will honor and celebrate the legacy of Bob Hope and his longtime role as tournament host, including the awarding of a newly-created Bob Hope Trophy to the winner.
The name is changing to reflect the tournament’s new strategic direction. The tournament week is designed to bring the idea of “participatory wellness” to life for people of all ages and will feature a first-ever national conference focused on health and well-being on Tuesday, Jan. 17, highlighted by a keynote address from President William J. Clinton.
The tournament will “challenge” participating TOUR pros, amateur golfers, celebrities, volunteers, sponsor guests, spectators and the millions of television viewers throughout the country to interact with Humana, the Clinton Foundation, the PGA TOUR, and Desert Classic Charities during a week-long celebration of world-class golf, healthy lifestyle options, and fitness-oriented activities.
Besides the name change and new strategic direction, the tournament also will feature several changes to the professional and amateur format. The changes include:
• A four-day tournament, beginning Thursday of tournament week, with the first three rounds played in a pro-am format.
• The pro-am teams will consist of one professional and one amateur playing in groups of four.
• For each day of the three-round pro-am competition, the professional will have a different amateur partner. Amateurs will compete in daily competitions as well as an overall, three-day competition
• Round 4 will be professionals only with a normal 70 + ties cut.
• The field size for the event will be 144 professionals, an increase of 16 professional spots from the previous format, and 144 amateurs.
The number of courses being used in the rotation is being reduced from four to three: La Quinta Country Club, a tournament course since 1965, PGA WEST Nicklaus Private and PGA WEST Palmer Private. PGA WEST has been in the rotation since 1986. Though the city-owned SilverRock Resort course will no longer be utilized, the event will continue its close partnership with the City of La Quinta as it provides support services and joint-marketing efforts for the event.
Thanks in large part to Bob Hope becoming involved as tournament host in 1965, the tournament has generated more than $50 million, which literally has funded the construction of the Eisenhower Medical Center and has supported local Coachella Valley charities. Throughout the week, there will be several elements specifically designed to honor the legacy of the event’s 52-year history and Hope’s longtime involvement. A full listing of these elements will be released at a later date.
About Humana Inc.
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits companies, with approximately 10.2 million medical members, 7.1 million specialty members, and operates more than 300 medical centers and 240 worksite medical facilities. Humana is a full-service benefits and well-being solutions company, offering a wide array of health, pharmacy and supplemental benefit plans for employer groups, government programs and individuals, as well as primary and workplace care through its medical
centers and worksite medical facilities.
Over its 50-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at www.humana.com, including copies of:
• Annual reports to stockholders;
• Securities and Exchange Commission filings;
• Most recent investor conference presentations;
• Quarterly earnings news releases;
• Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls;
• Calendar of events (including upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors);
• Corporate Governance information.
About the William J. Clinton Foundation
Building on a lifetime of public service, President Bill Clinton established the William J. Clinton Foundation with the mission to alleviate poverty, improve global health, strengthen economies, and protect the environment, by fostering partnerships among governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and private citizens – leveraging their expertise, resources, and passions – to turn good intentions into measurable results.
To accomplish its goals, the Clinton Foundation has established separate initiatives, each with a distinct mission but all reflecting President Clinton’s founding vision: to implement sustainable programs that improve access worldwide to investment, opportunity, and lifesaving services now and for future generations. Working in diverse geographic regions and responding to local needs, the initiatives address targeted challenges in the Foundation’s key areas of focus: economic empowerment, education, environment and energy, health systems, and nutrition.
The Clinton Global Initiative brings together a community of leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues. Through strategic organization and investment, the Clinton Foundation strives to change global systems, entire communities, and the way business is done in both developed and developing countries – while emphasizing solutions that make meaningful and positive changes in individual lives. For more information, visit www.clintonfoundation.org.
About_Desert_Classic_Charities Desert Classic Charities is dedicated to serving human needs in the Coachella Valley with funds generated by operating the tournament, one of the premier celebrity pro-am golf events in the world. The primary charitable recipient has been the Eisenhower Medical Center.
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour. The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
Contact:
Chris Smith Tom Noland
PGA TOUR Humana
(904) 273-3379 502-580-3674
csmith@pgatourhq.com tnoland@humana.com
Matt McKenna Greg Helm
Clinton Foundation Desert Classic Charities
212-348-0360 760-220-8800
press@clintonfoundation.org greg@helmconsulting.com
Toby Zwikel
Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc.
818-462-5599
tobyz@bzapr.com
