The American Express

Tournament information
Location	La Quinta, California
Established	1960
Course(s)	La Quinta Country Club PGA West (Stadium Course) (Nicklaus Tournament Course)
Par	72
Length	7,060 yards (6,460 m) (LQ) 7,140 yards (6,530 m) (S) 7,181 yards (6,566 m) (NT)
Organized by	Impact Through Golf
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$8,400,000
Month played	January
Tournament record score
Aggregate	72 holes: 259 Nick Dunlap (2024) 90 holes: 324 Joe Durant (2001)
To par	72 holes: −29 as above 90 holes: −36 as above
Current champion
Nick Dunlap (a)
Location Map
PGA West Location in the United States Show map of the United States PGA West Location in California Show map of California

The Desert Classic (currently known as The American Express for sponsorship reasons; previously known as the CareerBuilder Challenge, Palm Springs Golf Classic, the Bob Hope Desert Classic, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, and the Humana Challenge) is a professional golf tournament in southern California on the PGA Tour. Played in mid-winter in the Coachella Valley (greater Palm Springs), it is part of the tour's early season "West Coast Swing."

It previously had five rounds of competition (90 holes) rather than the standard of four rounds, and was known for its celebrity pro-am. For many years, the event was named for and hosted by entertainer Bob Hope and featured a number of celebrity participants.^[1]

In 2012, the Desert Classic changed to a traditional 72-hole format over three different courses with a 54-hole cut, similar to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and ended their celebrity pro-am.^[2] The tournament is organized by the nonprofit Impact Through Golf, which took over from Desert Classic Charities in 2020.^[3]

History

Founded in 1960 as the Palm Springs Golf Classic,^[4] the tournament evolved from the Thunderbird Invitational that was held in Palm Springs the previous six years, from 1954 to 1959, but with a much smaller purse.^[5] The event was renamed the Bob Hope Desert Classic in 1965 and the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in 1986.^[6]

Until 2012, its format remained unique among PGA Tour events, being played over five days and four different courses. In its first three years, the tournament was played at Thunderbird Country Club and Tamarisk Country Club, both in Rancho Mirage; Bermuda Dunes Country Club in Bermuda Dunes; and Indian Wells Country Club in Indian Wells. Bermuda Dunes was used through 2009 and Indian Wells through 2005. In 1963 Eldorado Country Club, also in Indian Wells, replaced Thunderbird Country Club. From 1964 until 1968 La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, replaced Tamarisk Country Club, but in 1969 Tamarisk Country Club rejoined the event and alternated annually with Eldorado Country Club until 1986 (Tamarisk Country Club's last turn being in 1985).

An evolution towards courses more suited to modern professionals began in 1987. From 1987 until 1994, and again from 1998 to the present, a course at PGA West in La Quinta, (the TPC Stadium Golf Course in 1987 and the Arnold Palmer Private Course thereafter) became a permanent member of the roster; from 1995–97, Indian Ridge Country Club in Palm Desert replaced PGA West. To make room for a new permanent member, Eldorado Country Club and La Quinta Country Club alternated from 1987–89 (Eldorado being used in 87 and 89), after which Eldorado Country Club was dropped from the roster. From 1990–2003 Tamarisk Country Club and La Quinta Country Club followed a "1–2" alternating arrangement, where Tamarisk was played the first year and La Quinta CC the next two; this pattern was deviated from when Tamarisk was used in 2004 (a La Quinta CC year by the pattern), although the 2005, 2006 and 2007 events were then played at La Quinta CC.

In early 2005 a local charitable foundation gave its new course, The Classic Club in Palm Desert (an Arnold Palmer-designed track) to the tournament, making the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic the only event on the PGA Tour that owns its own facility. The Classic Club took the place of Indian Wells in 2006, but the course was dropped from the Hope course field after the 2008 event, citing players concerns over high winds.^[7]

The 2009 course rotation consisted of the Arnold Palmer Private Course and the Nicklaus Private Course (both at PGA West in La Quinta), SilverRock Resort (in La Quinta), and the Bermuda Dunes Country Club.^[7] In 2010, La Quinta CC replaced Bermuda Dunes CC. In 2012, SilverRock Resort dropped from the rotation due to the tournament shortening to 72 holes. In 2016, the main course was Pete Dye's PGA West Stadium Course, and also used PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament course (originally designed for the 1991 Ryder Cup, the European Broadcasting Union objected because of the European domination of the tournament and a nine-hour time difference from Central European Time was inconvenient; the tournament moved east where only a six-hour time difference allowed the event to air in primetime hours), and La Quinta Country Club in the first three rounds.^[8]

The tradition of choosing the tournament's "Classic Girls" from among the area's collegians began in those early years, with the earliest tournaments having a celebrity dubbed "Classic Queen." The earliest titleholders included Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell, and Jill St. John. The queens of the 1970s included Barbara Eden and Lynda Carter.

The Classic's biggest draw, both then and now, has been the celebrity Pro-am competition which has attracted some of the era's biggest celebrities. According to the official website, those celebrities have included:

• Bing Crosby
• Burt Lancaster
• Kirk Douglas
• Phil Harris
• Desi Arnaz (one of the founders of the aforementioned Indian Wells Country Club)
• Ray Bolger
• Hoagy Carmichael
• Glen Campbell
• Don Adams
• Dwight Eisenhower (the first U.S. President to play in the pro-am)

The first edition in 1960 was won by Arnold Palmer at 338 (–22),^[4] a record that stood for twenty years. He had won the last Thunderbird event the previous year, which had a $15,000 purse with a winner's share of $1,500.^[5] The purse in 1960 was over six times larger at $100,000, and the $12,000 first prize was Palmer's biggest check to date.^[4]

Hope, who was possibly Hollywood's greatest golfer, added his name to the tournament in 1965,^[1] and became its chairman of the board.

The 1970s saw stars like Frank Sinatra make their debuts. Less than three weeks out of office, Gerald Ford played his first pro-am in 1977,^[9] making him the second former president to play in the tournament. More recently celebrities such as Jimmy Fallon, Don Cheadle, and Samuel L. Jackson have competed in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, before its subsequent renames.

History was made at the tournament in 1995 when the pro-am team of Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Bob Hope and defending champion Scott Hoch teed up for the tournament's opening round. The event marked the first time a sitting president – Clinton – had played during a PGA Tour event and perhaps the first time three presidents had ever played together.

Its long history has made the event synonymous with golf in the Coachella Valley. Additionally, the allure of Hope's name, even after his death, has convinced the Hope estate, tournament organizers and corporate sponsor Chrysler to include the legendary entertainer's name on the tournament for as long as a substantial portion of its proceeds are given to charities.

Before 2012, the tournament's five-round format was a "tough sell" for many players, such as Tiger Woods, who has never played there. It took place over five days, four of which include celebrity players. That meant rounds take far longer and the presence of so many spectators out to catch a glimpse of their favorite TV, film or music star, can turn even an early round into a far more informal endeavor, which many golfers did not enjoy.

Starting in 2012, the tournament was narrowed to a four-round event played on three courses with a 54-hole cut. The tournament is the first continental stop of the calendar year, but is still a hard sell because network television coverage of the PGA Tour starts the ensuing week.

The tournament was called the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic until the 2009 tournament, when George Lopez was let go as host and Chrysler dropped their name from the tournament's name, but continued to sponsor the tournament. Instead, the tournament was hosted by the only 5-time winner of the event, Arnold Palmer, for the tournament's 50th anniversary. In 2010, baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra served as the first "Classic Ambassador".^[10]

Professional field

The professional field consists of 156 players selected using (slightly reordered) standard eligibility rankings except that the following are also eligible:^[11][12]

1. The Players Championship winners prior to 1996
2. PGA Tour members who played on the most recent Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams of both sides.
3. Winners of the tournament prior to 1999 and in the previous ten seasons

There is no open qualifying for the tournament.

Amateur history

Only three amateurs have made starts in this event: Charlie Reiter (2018, 2019, 2020), Caleb Surratt (2023), and Nick Dunlap (2024). Dunlap is the only amateur to have made the cut at the event; he won the tournament by one stroke after a 2-under final round.^[13]

Tournament hosts

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Purse ($)	Winner's share ($)
The American Express
2024	Nick Dunlap (a)	259	−29	1 stroke	Christiaan Bezuidenhout	8,400,000	1,512,000[a]
2023	Jon Rahm (2)	261	−27	1 stroke	Davis Thompson	8,000,000	1,440,000
2022	Hudson Swafford (2)	265	−23	2 strokes	Tom Hoge	7,600,000	1,368,000
2021	Kim Si-woo	265	−23	1 stroke	Patrick Cantlay	6,700,000	1,206,000
2020	Andrew Landry	262	−26	2 strokes	Abraham Ancer	6,700,000	1,206,000
Desert Classic
2019	Adam Long	262	−26	1 stroke	Adam Hadwin Phil Mickelson	5,900,000	1,062,000
CareerBuilder Challenge
2018	Jon Rahm	266	−22	Playoff	Andrew Landry	5,900,000	1,062,000
2017	Hudson Swafford	268	−20	1 stroke	Adam Hadwin	5,800,000	1,044,000
2016	Jason Dufner	263	−25	Playoff	David Lingmerth	5,800,000	1,044,000
Humana Challenge
2015	Bill Haas (2)	266	−22	1 stroke	Charley Hoffman Matt Kuchar Park Sung-joon Brendan Steele Steve Wheatcroft	5,700,000	1,026,000
2014	Patrick Reed	260	−28	2 strokes	Ryan Palmer	5,700,000	1,026,000
2013	Brian Gay	263	−25	Playoff	Charles Howell III David Lingmerth	5,600,000	1,008,000
2012	Mark Wilson	264	−24	2 strokes	Robert Garrigus John Mallinger Johnson Wagner	5,600,000	1,008,000
Bob Hope Classic
2011	Jhonattan Vegas	333	−27	Playoff	Bill Haas Gary Woodland	5,000,000	900,000
2010	Bill Haas	330	−30	1 stroke	Tim Clark Matt Kuchar Bubba Watson	5,000,000	900,000
2009	Pat Perez	327	−33	3 strokes	John Merrick	5,100,000	918,000
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
2008	D. J. Trahan	334	−26	3 strokes	Justin Leonard	5,100,000	918,000
2007	Charley Hoffman	343	−17	Playoff	John Rollins	5,000,000	900,000
2006	Chad Campbell	335	−25	3 strokes	Jesper Parnevik Scott Verplank	5,000,000	900,000
2005	Justin Leonard	332	−28	3 strokes	Tim Clark Joe Ogilvie	4,700,000	846,000
2004	Phil Mickelson (2)	330	−30	Playoff	Skip Kendall	4,500,000	810,000
2003	Mike Weir	330	−30	2 strokes	Jay Haas	4,500,000	810,000
2002	Phil Mickelson	330	−30	Playoff	David Berganio Jr.	4,000,000	720,000
2001	Joe Durant	324	−36	4 strokes	Paul Stankowski	3,500,000	630,000
2000	Jesper Parnevik	331	−27	1 stroke	Rory Sabbatini	3,000,000	540,000
1999	David Duval	334	−26	1 stroke	Steve Pate	3,000,000	540,000
1998	Fred Couples	332	−28	Playoff	Bruce Lietzke	2,300,000	414,000
1997	John Cook (2)	327	−33	1 stroke	Mark Calcavecchia	1,500,000	270,000
1996	Mark Brooks	337	−23	1 stroke	John Huston	1,300,000	234,000
1995	Kenny Perry	335	−25	1 stroke	David Duval	1,200,000	216,000
1994	Scott Hoch	334	−26	3 strokes	Lennie Clements Jim Gallagher Jr. Fuzzy Zoeller	1,100,000	198,000
1993	Tom Kite	325	−35	6 strokes	Rick Fehr	1,100,000	198,000
1992	John Cook	336	−24	Playoff	Rick Fehr Tom Kite Mark O'Meara Gene Sauers	1,100,000	198,000
1991	Corey Pavin (2)	331	−29	Playoff	Mark O'Meara	1,100,000	198,000
1990	Peter Jacobsen	339	−21	1 stroke	Scott Simpson Brian Tennyson	1,000,000	180,000
1989	Steve Jones	343	−17	Playoff	Paul Azinger Sandy Lyle	1,000,000	180,000
1988	Jay Haas	338	−22	2 strokes	David Edwards	1,000,000	180,000
1987	Corey Pavin	341	−19	1 stroke	Bernhard Langer	900,000	162,000
1986	Donnie Hammond	335	−25	Playoff	John Cook	650,000	108,000
Bob Hope Classic
1985	Lanny Wadkins	333	−27	Playoff	Craig Stadler	555,000	90,000
1984	John Mahaffey (2)	340	−20	Playoff	Jim Simons	433,000	72,000
Bob Hope Desert Classic
1983	Keith Fergus	335	−25	Playoff	Rex Caldwell	408,000	67,500
1982	Ed Fiori	335	−25	Playoff	Tom Kite	304,500	50,000
1981	Bruce Lietzke	335	−25	2 strokes	Jerry Pate	304,500	50,000
1980	Craig Stadler	343	−17	2 strokes	Tom Purtzer Mike Sullivan	304,500	50,000
1979	John Mahaffey	343	−17	1 stroke	Lee Trevino	300,000	50,000
1978	Bill Rogers	339	−21	2 strokes	Jerry McGee	225,000	45,000
1977	Rik Massengale	337	−23	6 strokes	Bruce Lietzke	200,000	40,000
1976	Johnny Miller (2)	344	−16	3 strokes	Rik Massengale	180,000	36,000
1975	Johnny Miller	339	−21	3 strokes	Bob Murphy	160,000	32,000
1974	Hubert Green	341	−19	2 strokes	Bert Yancey	160,000	32,048
1973	Arnold Palmer (5)	343	−17	2 strokes	Johnny Miller Jack Nicklaus	160,000	32,000
1972	Bob Rosburg	344	−16	1 stroke	Lanny Wadkins	145,000	29,000
1971	Arnold Palmer (4)	342	−18	Playoff	Raymond Floyd	140,000	28,000
1970	Bruce Devlin	339	−21	4 strokes	Larry Ziegler	125,000	25,000
1969	Billy Casper (2)	345	−15	3 strokes	Dave Hill	100,000	20,000
1968	Arnold Palmer (3)	348	−12	Playoff	Deane Beman	100,000	20,000
1967	Tom Nieporte	349	−11	1 stroke	Doug Sanders	88,000	17,600
1966	Doug Sanders	349	−11	Playoff	Arnold Palmer	80,000	15,000
1965	Billy Casper	348	−12	1 stroke	Tommy Aaron Arnold Palmer	80,000	15,000
Palm Springs Golf Classic
1964	Tommy Jacobs	353	−7	Playoff	Jimmy Demaret	50,000	7,500
1963	Jack Nicklaus	345	−13	Playoff	Gary Player	50,000	9,000
1962	Arnold Palmer (2)	342	−17	3 strokes	Jay Hebert Gene Littler	35,000	5,300
1961	Billy Maxwell	345	−14	2 strokes	Doug Sanders	52,000	5,300
Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic
1960	Arnold Palmer	338	−20	3 strokes	Fred Hawkins	70,000	12,000

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Source:^[14][15]

Multiple winners

Ten men have won this tournament more than once through 2023.

• 5 wins
  • Arnold Palmer: 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1973
• 2 wins
  • Billy Casper: 1965, 1969
  • John Cook: 1992, 1997
  • Bill Haas: 2010, 2015
  • John Mahaffey: 1979, 1984
  • Phil Mickelson: 2002, 2004
  • Johnny Miller: 1975, 1976
  • Corey Pavin: 1987, 1991
  • Hudson Swafford: 2017, 2022
  • Jon Rahm: 2018, 2023

Tournament highlights

• 1960: Arnold Palmer wins the inaugural version of the tournament by three shots over Fred Hawkins.^[4][16] Joe Campbell earned $50,000 in unofficial money for scoring a hole-in-one on the fifth hole of the Tamarisk Country Club.^[17]
• 1963: Jack Nicklaus defeats Gary Player 65 to 73 in an 18-hole playoff for the tournament title.^[18]
• 1964: 53-year-old Jimmy Demaret who rarely played competitive golf any more finishes regulation play tied for first with Tommy Jacobs but loses on the second hole of sudden death.^[19]
• 1967: Club professional Tom Nieporte birdies the 90th hole to beat Doug Sanders by one shot.^[20]
• 1972: Bob Rosburg wins for the first time since the 1961 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. He beats Lanny Wadkins by one shot.^[21]
• 1973: Arnold Palmer wins the tournament for a fifth time by two shots over Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller.^[22] It is Palmer's final PGA Tour triumph.
• 1976: Johnny Miller shoots a final round 63 to successfully defend his Bob Hope title. He wins by 3 shots over Rik Massengale.^[23]
• 1980: Craig Stadler wins for the first-time on the PGA Tour. He beats Tom Purtzer and Mike Sullivan by 2 shots.^[24]
• 1982: Ed Fiori, expecting to become a first-time father any day, rolls in a 35-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Tom Kite.^[25]
• 1985: Lanny Wadkins plays the last five holes of regulation in five under par to tie Craig Stadler, then goes on to beat him on the fifth hole of a sudden death playoff.^[26]
• 1989: Steve Jones becomes the first golfer since Gil Morgan in 1983 to sweep the first two events of the PGA Tour Schedule. He defeats Paul Azinger and Sandy Lyle on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.^[27]
• 1990: Peter Jacobsen birdies the 90th hole to win the Hope by one shot^[28] over Brian Tennyson and Scott Simpson after NBC golf announcer Johnny Miller talked about how easy it would have been for Jacobsen to choke his second shot to the par-5 finishing hole.^[29]
• 1991: Corey Pavin holes a 35-foot wedge shot on the first hole of sudden death to defeat Mark O'Meara.^[30]
• 1992: John Cook holes a chip shot from 100-feet to defeat Gene Sauers in sudden death. The playoff, originally composed of five players, also involved Tom Kite, Mark O'Meara, and Rick Fehr.^[31]
• 1993: Tom Kite, who had twice previously lost the tournament in playoffs, shoots 325, a PGA Tour record for 90 holes at the time. He beats Rick Fehr by 6 shots.^[32]
• 1999: David Duval shoots a final round 59 to beat Steve Pate by one shot.^[33]
• 2001 Joe Durant shoots a record score for a 90-hole PGA tournament with a 36-under-par score of 324 (65-61-67-66-65).^[34]
• 2003: Mike Weir birdies the final three holes to win by two shots over Jay Haas.^[35]
• 2009: Pat Perez shoots 124 to set a new PGA Tour record for the first 36 holes of a tournament.^[36] He goes on to win the Hope by three shots over John Merrick.^[37]
• 2011: In just his fifth PGA Tour start and second as a Tour member, Jhonattan Vegas became the first Venezuelan to win on the PGA Tour. It was also the last year the tournament was a five-round event.
• 2014: Patrick Reed shot 63s in his first three rounds, a PGA Tour record 27-under-par for 54 holes.
• 2017: Adam Hadwin shot a 59 in the third round. He is the first Canadian on the PGA Tour to accomplish this and only the third player to shoot 59 on a par-72 course.
• 2024: Nick Dunlap becomes the first amateur to win the event and the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since 1991.^[38]

Records

• Low 18-Hole record 59 – David Duval (1999), Adam Hadwin (2017)
• Low 36-Hole record 123 – Steve Stricker (2009)
• Low 54-Hole record 189 – Patrick Reed (2014)
• Low 72-Hole record 259 – Joe Durant (2001), Nick Dunlap (2024)
• Low 90-Hole record 324 – Joe Durant (2001) (PGA Tour record)^[34]
• High winning score 349 – Doug Sanders (1966), Tom Nieporte (1967)
• High finish by winner 72 – Billy Casper (1965)
• Low finish by winner 59 – David Duval (1999)
• Low start by winner 63 – Jay Haas (1988)
• High start by winner 76 – Tom Nieporte (1967), Steve Jones (1989)
• Largest victory margin 6 strokes – Rik Massengale (1977), Tom Kite (1993)
• Low cut 273 – 15-under-par (2009) (PGA Tour record)
• Wire to wire winners – Rik Massengale (1977), Bruce Lietzke (1981)
• Best turn around – Jonathan Kaye (1999) 2nd – 83 3rd – 62

Timeline of courses used

Legend:
  Used in the pre-cut rota and the final round
  Used only in the pre-cut rota
  Used only in the final round

Television broadcast and cable history

From the mid-1960s through 1998, NBC broadcast the fourth and fifth rounds of the tournament. ABC took over the coverage in 1999 through 2006, with CBS covering the tournament in 2003 due to ABC's involvement with Super Bowl XXXVII.

On the cable side, the first three rounds were covered by ESPN through 2002. From 2003–06, USA Network covered the early action.

Beginning in 2007, the tournament lost its network coverage and the Golf Channel showed all five rounds on cable television. Even with the move to four rounds and the reduction in celebrity involvement, the tournament is still exclusive to cable, as it is usually the last full-field stop restricted to cable-only coverage, as network television coverage of the PGA Tour currently does not begin until the week after the NFL's Conference Championship Games, which is two weeks before the Super Bowl.

Coverage style

Prior to 2007, USA and ESPN/ABC consistently covered all four courses used for the event, with the primary camera crew covering PGA West, but live coverage still emanating from the other courses. However, when Golf Channel took over coverage, the network only assigned live coverage to PGA West (both the Palmer and Nicklaus courses). All other courses used did not receive live coverage at all, with an hourly highlights package sent in and played, but none of it live. This has been the approach consistently taken by Golf Channel in regards to tournaments with multiple courses, including the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the Walt Disney World Golf Classic.