Tough Competition

Perez’s three-stoke victory in 2009 earned him $918,000

Pat Perez (shown here) defends his title at the 51st Bob Hope Classic golf tournament, Jan. 18-24. Perez’s three-stoke victory in 2009 earned him $918,000 of a $5.1 million purse, compared to Arnold Palmer’s $12,000 share of a $70,000 purse in the 1960 inaugural tournament.

This year’s event attracts a lineup of 128 top PGA Tour pros and 384 amateurs, including 30 celebrities. In addition to Classic namesake Bob Hope, past celebrities have included entertainers from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and Sammy Davis Jr. to Michael Bolton, Alice Cooper,  and Justin Timberlake; sports heroes from Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio, and Johnny Bench to Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley; poli-ticians from Tip O’Neil and Dan Quayle to Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Gerald Ford; and Classic Girls from Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds to Jill St. John, Barbara Eden, and Linda Carter.

Play takes place on four courses: the Palmer and Nicklaus private courses at PGA West, La Quinta Country Club, and SilverRock Resort. 888-672-4673.