Early field includes nine PGA Tour champions from 2011, FedExCup winner and nine past event champions
LA QUINTA, CA – Defending champion Jhonattan Vegas joins 2011 FedExCup champion and 2010 event champion Bill Haas, 2001 PGA Championship winner David Toms and 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson among the early commitments for the 2012 Humana Challenge (formerly the Bob Hope Classic), in partnership with the Clinton Foundation, scheduled for Jan. 16-22.
Known for being a springboard for players to enjoy successful seasons, the event in 2011 featured players who accounted for 24 PGA TOUR victories throughout the season. The Humana Challenge also received early commitments from 2011 PGA TOUR winners Fredrik Jacobsen, Kevin Na, Chris Kirk, Scott Piercy, Johnson Wagner, Mark Wilson and local standout Brendan Steele, of Idyllwild and UC Riverside.
When he outlasted Haas and Gary Woodland in a two-hole playoff last January, Vegas became the third consecutive player to win his first PGA TOUR title at the tournament, joining Haas and Pat Perez (2009).
Vegas is one of seven past champions making an early commitment to the 2012 Humana Challenge field. He joins Haas, Perez, Charley Hoffman (2007), Chad Campbell (2006), Justin Leonard (2005) and Mark Brooks (1996).
Early commitments for the 2012 Humana Challenge feature seven players that reached the 2011 TOUR Championship and placed in the top 30 of the 2011 FedExCup playoff standings – Haas, Chez Reavie (10th), John Senden (13th), Toms (20th), Wilson (22nd), 2011 PGA Championship runner-up Jason Dufner (25th) and Jacobsen (29th) – and six players ranked in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking: Toms (25th), Haas (26th), Dufner (32nd), Johnson (35th), Jacobsen (40th) and Senden (45th). This number is expected to increase as more players commit to what has become one of the most innovative and fan-interactive events on the PGA TOUR schedule.
For the third consecutive year, the $5.6 million Humana Challenge will take place entirely within La Quinta, where players will compete for a $1.008 million winner’s check at La Quinta Country Club and the Palmer and Nicklaus Private Courses at PGA WEST. The purse and winner’s check are the largest in event history.
En route to his 2011 title, Vegas shot 27-under-par 333 in regulation and became the first of six PGA TOUR rookies to win in 2011.
In recent years, the event has built a reputation as a launching point for young players to enjoy breakout years on the PGA TOUR. In 2011, 15 of the 30 players in the season-ending TOUR Championship – exactly half the field – played in the event. Three of the five PGA TOUR Player of the Year nominees – Haas, Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson – played in the desert, as did five of the six Rookie of the Year nominees: Bradley, Vegas, Steele, Kirk and Scott Stallings.
“Year in and year out, the event has proven to be a great place for players to start their season and go on to experience great success,” Humana Challenge Tournament Chairman Larry Thiel said. “This January’s Humana Challenge will be a wonderful opportunity for golf fans in Southern California and national and international TV viewers to get an early look at the talent that will be making headlines in 2012.”
The Humana Challenge features a field of 144 PGA TOUR professionals and 144 amateurs, including celebrities. The first three rounds of the four-day tournament will be played in a pro-am format, each pro-am team consisting of one professional and one amateur, with each group consisting of two professionals and two amateurs. Sunday’s final round will feature professionals only.
The tournament continues to honor and celebrate the legacy of Bob Hope by awarding the new Bob Hope Memorial Trophy to its 2012 champion. Live tournament coverage will air on Golf Channel (12-3 p.m. PST on Jan. 19-20; 1-4 p.m. PST on Jan. 21-22).
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, entitled Health Matters: Activating Wellness in Every Generation and highlighted by a keynote address from President William J. Clinton. The Bob Hope Legacy Pro-Am will be held Monday, Jan. 16 at the Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST and The Couples Team Challenge Pro-Am will take place Wednesday, Jan. 18 Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST.
During the past 52 years, the event has generated more than $50 million in donations to the Eisenhower Media Center and charities within the Coachella Valley.
The Humana Challenge is proud to offer the latest tournament information, stage contests and give away tickets and other prizes through its new Facebook page – www.facebook.com/HumanaChallenge – and Twitter page – www.twitter.com/HumanaChallenge (@HumanaChallenge). The Humana Challenge encourages the community, golf fans and tournament patrons to become fans on Facebook and a follower on Twitter.
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 at www.humana.com.
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 improve global health, strengthen economies, promote healthier childhoods, and protect the environment by fostering partnerships among governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private citizens to turn good intentions into measurable results. Since 2001 President Clinton’s vision and leadership have resulted in nearly 4 million people benefiting from lifesaving HIV/AIDS treatment; more than 13,000 U.S. schools building healthier learning environments; more than 26,000 micro-entrepreneurs, small business owners, and smallholder farmers improving their livelihoods and communities; more than 3 million meals to schoolchildren in Colombia; and more than 2.2 million tons of greenhouse gases cut or abated in some of the world’s largest cities. And President Clinton has redefined the way we think about giving and philanthropy through his Clinton Global Initiative, whose members have made more than 2,100 commitments that have already improved the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. 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.
Contact:
Toby Zwikel
(818) 462-5599
Greg Helm
(760) 220-8800
