Club: PGA West (Palmer Course) - PGA West (Nicklaus Course), La Quinta CC

Location: La Quinta, California

Date: Jan 16-22, 2012

PGA Tour Golf Betting Odds: The PGA TOUR tournament in La Quinta, Calif. has a new name, a new format, a new trophy, and most important, an innovative new focus on health and well-being. The "Humana Challenge" has been announced as the new name of the event formerly known as the Bob Hope Classic, and will feature several changes to the format beginning in 2012.

The PGA TOUR and host organization Desert Classic Charities (DCC) unveiled 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. This year's tournament will be the week of January 16-22 with live and replay tournament coverage on Golf Channel.

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, highlighted by a keynote address from President William J. Clinton.

The tournament will "challenge" -- hence the name -- participating TOUR pros, amateur golfers, celebrities, volunteers, sponsor guests, spectators and the millions of television viewers around 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.

The Course

PGA WEST and the Arnold Palmer Private Course, set at the foot of the majestic Santa Rosa Mountains say "Welcome Back" to the 53rd Humana Challenge. The challenging course officially opened October 26, 1986 as the second of five championship courses at PGA WEST, a spectacular master-planned country club community in La Quinta.

In the fall of 1999, PGA WEST opened the sixth course, designed by Greg Norman, an additional practice facility and a new, full service clubhouse. The Club at PGA WEST currently features two handsome golf clubhouses and a state-of-the-art Health & Racquet Club surrounded by tennis courts of all three surfaces. The uniquely designed fairway homes at PGA WEST offer unparalleled views of breathtaking mountains, fairways and lakes, elegant amenities and a level of sophistication and comfort that are the hallmarks of fine California lifestyles.

In 1987 the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic came to PGA WEST on the TPC® Stadium Golf® Course which has the distinction of being the first new course added to the tournament rotation since 1971. The following year the Classic moved to the Palmer Private Course. The Palmer Private Course also is noted for hosting the PGA Club Professional Championship in 1996 and the 1997 Senior PGA TOUR Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf.

The Arnold Palmer Private Course measures 6,930 yards from the tournament tees, 5,995 yards from the regular tees and is rated 74.6 and 68.9 respectively. According to Arnold Palmer, he designed the exciting course "for every caliber of golfer to play and enjoy."

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2012 Humana Challenge Winner - Wilson holds off field to win Humana Challenge

Although Mark Wilson is off to another fast start to a PGA Tour season, he won the Humana Challenge with a remarkable feat of endurance.

Wilson made a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole to clinch his fifth career victory Sunday, beating Robert Garrigus, John Mallinger and Johnson Wagner by two strokes in a dramatic dusk finish to the wind-delayed tournament.

Wilson's day started before sunrise and ended after sunset. In between, he finished his third round, got his kids ready for daycare at his in-laws' house, and then held off several hard-charging contenders during the final round amid the growing dark and desert chill in the Coachella Valley.

Wilson closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 24 under, taking the $1,008,000 winner's share of the $5.6 million purse despite the conditions. While most everybody else pulled on sweaters for the final holes, the Wisconsin native stayed in his polo shirt out of superstition and familiarity.

2011 Bob Hope Classic Winner - Many Winners in 2011 Bob Hope Classic at La Quinta

Jhonattan Vegas, a 26 year-old PGA Player, won his first championship and $900,000 after five days and replaying the 18th hole twice more to break a three-way tie. Vegas left Venezuela at 17, moving to Houston to study golf and English before playing at the University of Texas, according to PGA press information.

Fewer ranked PGA Players have participated at this La Quinta, California event in recent years. Now younger players are jumping at the opportunity to collect a championship. Last year's win by Bill Haas was his first of two career wins. Bill Haas and 26 year-old Gary Woodman tied in regulation and competed in the playoff rounds.

Bob Antin, Sal Palermo, and Paul McComb were the overall amateur/celebrity team winners. The top three teams of four fields received crystal and the top ten teams received Bob Hope Classic golf bags at a Winners Reception and Trophy Presentation on Saturday night.