Greg Norman watches his shot after teeing off on the 130-yard par 3 17th hole of the Palmer Private Course during a practice round on Wednesday in La Quinta. The PGA Tour's Humana Challenge tournament begins this morning. Crystal Chatham/The Desert Sun
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Humana Challenge
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For complete coverage of the Humana Challenge go to mydesert.com/humana
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Veteran golfer Greg Norman of Australia indicated Wednesday that he had no plans to return to the desert and play in the area's PGA Tour tournament for the first time since 1986.
But one phone call from President Bill Clinton changed all of that.
“I got a phone call I could never say no to, and there's no question about that,” Norman said about his conversation with Clinton, who is serving as tournament host for the Humana Challenge this week. “We had a very frank conversation about the opportunities and the format, and how the tournament can be resurrected. The Bob Hope was such an iconic event. We hate to see events like that disappear.”
When the Humana Challenge begins this morning in La Quinta at the Palmer and Nicklaus Private Courses at PGA West and La Quinta Country Club, a new era unfolds for the former Bob Hope Classic.
Besides Norman, the Humana Challenge features its most attractive field in years, with two-time champion Phil Mickelson joined by world No. 8 Dustin Johnson and No. 11 Matt Kuchar all considered favorites.
