Tag: American Express

The American Express Thursday tee times, TV and streaming info

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the first round of the 2021 American Express.

After a two-week swing through the paradise that is Hawaii, the PGA Tour is back on the mainland this week.

PGA West in La Quinta, California, and fan-favorite Phil Mickelson play hosts this week for the 2021 American Express. The first two rounds of the tournament will be split between the Stadium Course and the Nicklaus Tournament Course. After the cut, the remainder of the event will be played at the Stadium Course.

Brooks Koepka makes not only his 2021, but also his tournament debut this week while world No. 2 Jon Rahm withdrew without reason. Defending champion Andrew Landry is also in the field, as well as last week’s winner Kevin Na.

Check out Thursday’s first round groupings and tee times below, as well as this week’s complete TV and online streaming schedule.

All times are listed in Eastern.

RSM Classic: Fantasy rankings | Betting odds

Tee times

Nicklaus Tournament Course – 1st tee

Tee time Players
12:10 p.m. Brian Harman, Sean O’Hair, Will Gordon
12:20 p.m. Hunter Mahan, Byeong Hun An, Sam Ryder
12:30 p.m. Michael Thompson, Tyler Duncan, Troy Merritt
12:40 p.m. Michael Kim, Aaron Wise, Pat Perez
12:50 p.m. Richy Werenski, J.T. Poston, Brice Garnett
1 p.m. Kevin Streelman, Adam Schenk, Maverick McNealy
1:10 p.m. Brandon Hagy, Kristoffer Ventura, Chris Baker
1:20 p.m. Nick Watney, John Huh, Bo Hoag
1:30 p.m. Alex Noren, Bronson Burgoon, Henrik Norlander
1:40 p.m. Hudson Swafford, Sungjae Im, Russell Knox
1:50 p.m. Andrew Putnam, Ryan Armour, Luke Donald
2 p.m. Seung-Yul Noh, Cameron Tringale, J.J. Spaun
2:10 p.m.
Mark Wilson, Sebastian Cappelen, Harry Hall

Nicklaus Tournament Course – 10th tee

Tee time Players
12:10 p.m. Aaron Baddeley, James Hahn, Doc Redman
12:20 p.m. Emiliano Grillo, Luke List, Jamie Lovemark
12:30 p.m. Brian Gay, Satoshi Kodaira, Kevin Stadler
12:40 p.m. Cameron Champ, Brooks Koepka, Paul Casey
12:50 p.m.
Patrick Cantlay, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler
1 p.m. Scott Brown, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Erik van Rooyen
1:10 p.m. Rhein Gibson, Vincent Whaley, Ben Taylor
1:20 p.m. Lucas Glover, Tim Wilkinson, Cameron Davis
1:30 p.m. Kyle Stanley, Bill Haas, Sepp Straka
1:40 p.m. Martin Laird, Nick Taylor, Brendan Steele
1:50 p.m. Max Homa, Charles Howell III, Jason Dufner
2 p.m. Peter Malnati, Scott Stallings, Sam Burns
2:10 p.m.
Roger Sloan, Michael Gellerman, Joohyung Kim

Stadium Course – 1st tee

Tee time Players
12:10 p.m. John Senden, Abraham Ancer, Scottie Scheffler
12:20 p.m. Charl Schwartzel, Danny Lee, Robby Shelton
12:30 p.m. Adam Long, Jimmy Walker, Zach Johnson
12:40 p.m. Kevin Tway, Keegan Bradley, Patton Kizzire
12:50 p.m. Chez Reavie, Brandt Snedeker, Austin Cook
1 p.m. Adam Hadwin, Bo Van Pelt, Tyler McCumber
1:10 p.m. Rob Oppenheim, Mark Anderson, Michael Gligic
1:20 p.m. Chris Kirk, Beau Hossler, Denny McCarthy
1:30 p.m. Tom Hoge, Mark Hubbard, Matthew NeSmith
1:40 p.m. Patrick Reed, Andrew Landry, Gary Woodland
1:50 p.m. Kevin Na, Matthew Wolff, Tony Finau
2 p.m. Charley Hoffman, Chesson Hadley, Joel Dahmen
2:10 p.m.
Rafael Campos. Nelson Ledesma, Michael Block

Stadium Course – 10th tee

Tee time Players
12:10 p.m. Ryan Moore, Camilo Villegas, Wyndham Clark
12:20 p.m. Josh Teater, Kelly Kraft, Xinjun Zhang
12:30 p.m. C.T. Pan, Francesco Molinari, Martin Trainer
12:40 p.m. Nate Lashley, Ted Potter, Jr., Si Woo Kim
12:50 p.m. Steve Jones, Anirban Lahiri, Scott Harrington
1 p.m. Brian Stuard, Matt Jones, Doug Ghim
1:10 p.m. Kramer Hickok, Chase Seiffert, John Augenstein
1:20 p.m. Fabián Gómez, Rory Sabbatini, David Hearn
1:30 p.m. Russell Henley, Patrick Rodgers, Talor Gooch
1:40 p.m. Sung Kang, Grayson Murray, Steve Stricker
1:50 p.m. Jim Herman, Lanto Griffin, Scott Piercy
2 p.m. Vaughn Taylor, Ben Martin, Cameron Percy
2:10 p.m. Hank Lebioda, Joseph Bramlett, Akshay Bhatia

TV, radio info

Thursday, Jan. 21

TV

Golf Channel (watch for free on fuboTV): 3-7 p.m.

STREAMING

PGA Tour Live: 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Twitter: 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 1-7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 22

TV

Golf Channel (watch for free on fuboTV): 3-7 p.m.

STREAMING

PGA Tour Live: 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Twitter: 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 1-7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 23

TV

Golf Channel (watch for free on fuboTV): 3-7 p.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 2-7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 24

TV

Golf Channel (watch for free on fuboTV): 3-7 p.m.

RADIO

PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 2-7 p.m.

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With an eye on the U.S. Open, Brooks Koepka makes his 2021 debut at American Express

With an eye on the U.S. Open, Brooks Koepka makes his 2021 debut at the American Express.

Brooks Koepka is in the field of The American Express in La Quinta, California, for the first time in his stellar career, but he has his eyes on the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego next week and the U.S. Open in June.

“I thought it was important to play Torrey Pines (in San Diego) and just see the golf course one more time before we go play it in the summer,” Koepka said. “One of the things I like (is) to play one round or at least one tournament before I get things started, and I feel like playing this week was beneficial, just to really get the game in flow, just see where you’re at this week and make some adjustments going in to next week.”

That doesn’t exactly make The American Express a kind of spring training for Koepka this week, but it does show that the four-time major winner is thinking about adding to his major championship haul.

“It’s a big prep, a major’s there and it’s important to see that golf course as much as you can,” Koepka said in reference to playing the South Course at Torrey Pines next week. “I’m not the most comfortable on poa greens, I’ve said that before, even though I won two majors on them, but not the most comfortable on them.”

American Express: Gambling odds | Fantasy rankings

The change in schedule for Koepka is an intriguing one. Starting with the 2015 season, Koepka has played just 11 events on the PGA Tour’s West Coast swing, including three at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, three at the Sentry Tournament Champions in Hawaii, two each at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles and the Farmers Insurance Open and just one at the AT&T Pro-Am in Pebble Beach. He has never played the Sony Open in Hawaii and had not played The American Express until this week.

Before the Farmers Insurance event next week, Koepka does have other questions to answer coming off a 2020 calendar year that was not close to his best golf. In the 2019-20 wraparound season, Koepka played just 13 events, had two top-10 finishes and missed five cuts. The culprit was a lingering patella tendon tear that forced Koepka to skip the FedEx Cup playoffs and the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in September.

Trending in the right direction

Koepka’s game showed progress near the end of the year with a fifth-place finish at the Vivant Houston Open and a tie for seventh in the Masters in November. Koepka hopes that trend continues as the calendar turns to 2021.

“I’m healthy now, so I’m not worried about it. Last year just kind of put it out,” Koepka said. “I went and actually had another round of PRP (a blood platelet replacement procedure), on my knee about two weeks ago, just to make sure. They did an ultrasound on it. They said there’s barely any tear on it, so there’s a lot of progress, came a long way, a lot of hard work, but just excited where it’s probably the best I felt maybe since 2018.”

That 2018 year saw Koepka win the second of his U.S. Open titles and the first of his two PGA Championships. He won the PGA Championship again in 2019, but has won just once since then, at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in 2019.

The 30-year-old Koepka insists the knee is not an issue as he comes to the Coachella Valley for the first time.

“I’m very happy with it and I don’t even — last year doesn’t even register in my head,” he said.

A healthy Koepka is a confident Koepka, and that confidence in his game seems to be coming back as he begins the new year in the desert.

“My whole season last year was, for the last year and a half, it’s been an injury.” Koepka said. “I couldn’t shake it, tried to play, adjust my schedule, tried to play through it and injuries attract other injuries and that kind of sums up the season.

“I feel like, like I said, I just put it behind me, I don’t really put too much emphasis on last year,” Koepka added. “My confidence is still high. I’ve seen so much better results, so much better in my practice sessions now that I’m healthy.”

Still a desert event to play

Torrey Pines and the U.S. Open might be Koepka’s focus this week, but he’ll still play in The American Express, a tournament reworked this week because of COVID-19 restrictions in the state.

The event features no traditional three-day pro-am, just two courses being played for the first time in the event’s 62-year history and no spectators. But that also means no distractions for a player working on getting his game in shape the year. The tournament is played on the Pete Dye Stadium Course and the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West in La Quinta, courses generally praised for their condition and greens.

“I just want to see where I’m at in the beginning part of this year,” Koepka said. “Because I feel good, so everything — my game, I’m starting to see better results in practicing, can practice longer, can practice a little bit harder, everything’s starting to come around back to where it’s what I’m used to.”

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American Express: Matthew Wolff dialing in game, schedule ahead of first 2021 start

A rising star on the PGA Tour, Matthew Wolff is working on dialing in his game and 2021 schedule ahead of his first start of the new year.

Matthew Wolff has played just once in the past two months.

He needed more time off.

“Break was short, but nice,” Wolff said ahead of his first start of 2021 in this week’s American Express at PGA West in La Quinta, California. “Wish I could have had a little more time off. It was a pretty hectic end of last year with the times right now. COVID is getting pretty crazy and you kind of had to like squeeze as many tournaments in as you could ending last year. I feel like the break wasn’t quite long enough. I feel like I’m still a little tired and stuff.”

Along with the COVID-19 global pandemic forcing players’ hands, Wolff’s youthful exuberance played a role in his decision to play nine consecutive weeks once the PGA Tour returned in June after a 13-week hiatus. In all, the 21-year-old – who won the 2019 3M Open in just his third start as a pro – played 16 weeks in a five-month stretch last year that left him exhausted.

But wiser. The stellar graduate of the Class of 2019 along with Viktor Hovland and reigning PGA Championship victor Collin Morikawa said he still has a lot to learn about playing inside the ropes and dealing with his livelihood away from the golf course. The latter portion of last year was an important tutorial.

American Express: Gambling odds | Fantasy rankings

“That kind of killed me right from the start,” Wolff said of playing nine consecutive tournaments. “I had a really good stretch of golf, and I played really well, and it was a good learning experience, for sure, just to see how much I could handle or how tired I was and I think I learned a lot from that stretch of just knowing what my body can take and how many events in a row I can play.

“I’m not sure exactly what my schedule’s going to look like this year, but I know that I’m definitely going to try to allow myself a little more off-time in between stretches just to let my body and my mind relax.”

While Wolff said there were weeks where he “couldn’t find the map,” with his game last year, there were more than enough good weeks to make up for it. The youngster with an eye-popping, quick-trigger, unorthodox swing that produces explosive clubhead speed and power finished runner-up to Bryson DeChambeau in the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the U.S. Open, finished in a tie for fourth in the PGA Championship (his first major as a pro) and lost in a playoff in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

In just 33 official starts as a pro, he’s risen to No. 15 in the official world golf ranking and is 12th in the USA’s Ryder Cup standings.

More: Five players younger than 24 are in the OWGR top 25

“I feel like the most important thing that I tried to do is focus on the positives more than the negatives and sometimes that might be hard,” Wolff said. “It was a pretty crazy year last year and I’m glad I got some rest and I’m going to be able to work on my game a little bit and I’m ready for this next year.

“I’m trying to balance (my time off) and that’s just part of the learning curve. I feel like I’m still really new out here. And it’s definitely taking a little time to learn and adjust to the new life that I live.”

And for Wolff, taking time off isn’t the easiest thing to do.

“Every single Tour event out here is so strong and so good that you feel like you can’t miss one because every single one that you’re missing is more opportunity for other people to jump you in (the FedEx Cup standings) and everything like that,” Wolff said. “In golf if you feel like you take a week off when you don’t have a tournament, you’re going to be really rusty coming back and so many people are going to be in stride and playing and have all that confidence from good play.

“For me (my time off) is just having people around me that I really enjoy being around, my friends, just anyone who can kind of take your mind off of golf and take your mind off of, like, the stressful life that I live when I’m out on the road.

“It is pretty difficult and I think the TV only kind of shows the good parts of everyone’s careers and it’s definitely not what everyone thinks. But the good times are great and we’re compensated really well and I’m definitely living my dream of playing out here, so I’m not trying to make it sound like I’m miserable, because I’m not, but it is a really hard balance of trying to enjoy family time and be with your friends and relax over the golf course, but still stay focused and sharp in those times when you’re trying to relax.”

While a bit tired, Wolff’s excited to get going, even if he might be a tad rusty.

“I know that this is a long year and I started off last year pretty good. I haven’t played too much lately, but I definitely know there’s going to be more than enough time to shake off that rust, and I’m a pretty competitive person and I know that I’m not going to be satisfied with not playing my best or not having the most confidence in my game,” he said. “So I’m definitely going to work hard and it might not be this week, it might not be next week, but I know eventually I’m going to have a good stretch of golf.”

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Fantasy golf power rankings for the 2021 American Express

Check out the fantasy golf power rankings for the PGA Tour’s 2021 American Express.

PGA West in La Quinta, California, hosts this week’s American Express as the PGA Tour returns to the mainland after opening 2021 with a two-week stay in Hawaii. Below, we look at the fantasy golf power rankings and betting odds for the top 30 golfers at the 2021 American Express.

The first two rounds of the tournament will be split between the Stadium Course and the Nicklaus Tournament Course with all golfers who make the 36-hole cut sticking to the Stadium Course for the weekend.

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Tuesday at 8 a.m. ET.

American Express: Gambling odds

Fantasy Golf Top 30

30. John Augenstein (+25000)

The runner-up at the 2019 US Amateur makes his professional golf debut following a T-55 finish at the 2020 Masters. He’s an excellent irons player and will have better success on more neutral putting surfaces.

29. Nick Taylor (+9000)

Moved up 11 spots to 125th in the Official World Golf Ranking with a T-11 finish at the Sony Open last week. Gained 1.59 strokes per round putting and stays on Bermudagrass this week.

28. Zach Johnson (+6600)

Missed the cut here three times in his last five appearances but has made the cut in nine straight events since the 2020 PGA Championship. He has three top-10 finishes during that stretch, including a T-8 at the US Open.

27. Si Woo Kim (+6000)

Tied for 25th last week with 0.00 strokes lost or gained on the greens. Averaged 1.25 Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green per round.

26. Kevin Streelman (+10000)

Finished second on another Pete Dye-designed course at the Travelers Championship last summer. Has averaged 0.51 total strokes gained on the field per round over 13 career rounds at the Stadium Course, according to Data Golf.

25. Sepp Straka (+8000)

Tied for fourth in this event last year while ranking second in the field with 2.78 SG: Approach per round. He missed the cut in his 2019 debut.

24. Keegan Bradley (+8000)

Missed the cut last week due to 3.49 strokes lost putting per round but ranked second in the field in SG: Tee-to-Green and SG: Approach.

23. Francesco Molinari (+8000)

Slipped to 130th in the OWGR and 359th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings after playing just seven tournaments last year. He won four times through 2018 and 2019, including the 147th Open Championship.

22. Rickie Fowler (+4500)

Had just two top-10 finishes against eight missed cuts in 20 events last year, but one of the top 10s was a T-10 in his debut at this event. He has played his best golf early in the season in recent years.

21. Brian Harman (+5000)

No. 27 in the Golfweek rankings despite not registering a win since the 2017 Wells Fargo Championship. Didn’t pick up a top-10 finish last year but was T-21 at PGA West. He tied for third here in 2017.

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20. Cameron Davis (+8000)

Twelfth on Tour in Birdie or Better Percentage through 24 rounds on the 2020-21 season. Finished 31st last week while gaining 1.57 strokes per round off-the-tee.

19. Andrew Landry (+12500)

The defending champ also finished second in 2018. He relied heavily on his putter last year, but he also averaged 1.94 SG: Approach and 2.22 SG: Tee-to-Green per round.

18. Russell Henley (+3000)

Has been on a steady rise from No. 251 to No. 52 in the OWGR since a missed cut at last year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. He’s No. 18 in the Golfweek rankings after collecting six top-10 finishes in his last 17 events.

17. Charles Howell III (+5000)

Only one golfer in this field has played more rounds on the Stadium Course. He has averaged 1.02 strokes gained on the field per round over his 14 laps but missed the cut last year.

16. Cameron Champ (+3500)

Just two top-10 finishes in 20 events last season. Tied for 21st in this event despite a dreadful 1.77 strokes lost around-the-green per round. His distance doesn’t provide his usual advantage.

15. Doc Redman (+8000)

Tied for 29th last year with an impressive 1.44 SG: Putting per round. Hasn’t played since missing the cut at The RSM Classic but had success against weaker fields last year with three top 10s.

14. Phil Mickelson (+6000)

The tournament host is a two-time winner here and more recently tied for second in 2019. Having slipped to 137th in the Golfweek rankings, he figures to split his time between the PGA Tour and Champions circuit this year but could start strong against a weaker field.

13. Gary Woodland (+8000)

The 2019 US Open winner dropped to No. 40 in the OWGR in an uneventful 2020 campaign in which he had four top-10 finishes in 19 events but never really seemed to challenge for the winner’s circle. He tied for second in 2011 at this event but on different courses.

12. Adam Hadwin (+6000)

Missed this event last year for the birth of his child, but finished 2nd, T-3 and T-2 from 2017-19. Leads those with a minimum of four rounds played on the Stadium Course with 2.56 strokes gained per round.

11. Sam Burns (+5000)

First on Tour in Total Driving through five events played on the 2020-21 season. Tied for sixth last year with 2.66 SG: Tee-to-Green per round.

10. Matthew Wolff (+2500)

No. 46 in the Golfweek rankings and 15 in the OWGR. Hasn’t played since a missed cut at the 2020 Masters. Finished just T-61 here last year but averaged 1.61 SG: Off-the-Tee per round and has improved his short game.

9. Paul Casey (+5000)

Ranked second on Tour in Par 4 Efficiency: 400-450 Yards last year. That’s the key distance at PGA West with 11 of 20 par 4s between the Stadium Course and Nicklaus Tournament Course falling in that range.

8. Kevin Na (+3000)

Last week’s winner finished T-17 here last year with 3.00 SG: Approach per round. He’d be ranked higher if it weren’t for the long trip back from Hawaii.

7. Tony Finau (+1800)

Tied for 14th last year despite losing strokes on the greens, on approach and off the tee. Was off last week after finishing T-31 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

6. Brooks Koepka (+1800)

The former world No. 1 makes his 2021 debut having slipped to No. 54 in the Golfweek rankings. He has never played this event.

5. Abraham Ancer (+2800)

Has averaged 0.73 strokes gained per round over 11 career rounds on the Stadium Course. He finished alone in second with 2.38 SG: Putting and 3.32 SG: Tee-to-Green per round last year.

4. Sungjae Im (+2000)

Disappointed with a T-56 result as a popular betting pick last week at the Sony Open. He continues to strike the ball well but is struggling on the greens.

3. Patrick Reed (+1400)

A somewhat surprising entry this week coming off a T-21 at the Tournament of Champions. He ended his 2020 schedule with a T-3 finish in a strong field at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

2. Scottie Scheffler (+1600)

Debuted here last year with a third-place finish. Still trying to get back on track after having to withdraw from the 2020 U.S. Open due to a positive COVID-19 result.

1. Patrick Cantlay (+1200)

Became the betting favorite after world No. 2 Jon Rahm withdrew Monday for an undisclosed reason. Tied for ninth in his lone appearance here in 2019 with 3.13 SG: Approach and 3.45 SG: Tee-to-Green. He’s 10th in the Golfweek rankings and is the top golfer in the field by that measure.

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The American Express: Everything you need to know for the 2020 tournament

The 61st annual The American Express golf tournament, featuring many of the top PGA Tour stars, returns to the desert at three Coachella Valley courses – La Quinta Country Club, the Stadium Course at PGA West and the Nicklaus Tournament Course at …

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The 61st annual The American Express golf tournament, featuring many of the top PGA Tour stars, returns to the desert at three Coachella Valley courses – La Quinta Country Club, the Stadium Course at PGA West and the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West.

Adam Long returns to defend his 2019 title, and will be joined in the field by top stars such as World Golf Hall of Famer and two-time American Express winner Phil Mickelson, who is serving as the tournament’s host.

Among others in the field: Rickie Fowler, Francesco Molinari, Tony Finau, Paul Casey, Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink. Past winners of the American Express in the field this year include two-time winner Bill Haas, Jason Dufner, Charley Hoffman, Pat Perez, Brian Gay, Mark Wilson. D.J. Trahan and Hudson Swafford.

Here’s everything you need to know for the event (all times Eastern):

When

Thursday, Jan. 16 through Sunday, Jan. 19.

Purse

$6.7 million, with $1,206,000 going to the winner.

How to watch

Thursday-Sunday

Golf Channel: 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

How it works

Play in the 54-hole pro-am portion of the tournament begins at 11:30 a.m. each day on all three courses. Each foursome will include two pros and two amateurs, and each amateur will be assigned one of the pros for the day. The pro-am twosome will play a better-ball format with the amateur using his or her own full handicap.

Daily prizes on each course will be awarded in gross and net divisions. The pro-am division ends after Saturday’s play for most players, but the three low gross and three low net amateurs will play Sunday, when the low 70 pros and ties from the first three days of the pro event continue on the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West.

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Phil Mickelson’s desert PGA Tour journey evolves from player to champion to host

Phil Mickelson and the Coachella Valley’s connection might not be obvious, but Lefty’s new role as host of the American Express is fitting.

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Arnold Palmer had Orlando, Florida, and the Bay Hill Club and Lodge. Byron Nelson had his beloved Dallas-Fort Worth community. Jack Nicklaus has Columbus, Ohio, and the Muirfield Village Golf Club. Tiger Woods has Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.

Now Phil Mickelson has La Quinta.

Palmer served as host of a PGA Tour event at the Bay Hill club where he lived, an event that still bears his name. Nelson grew up in Fort Worth and was a long-time host of a Tour event in Dallas. Nicklaus and Woods also host PGA Tour events in cities and at golf courses that are important to their paths to golf greatness.

While the immediate connection for Mickelson to the Coachella Valley might not be as obvious to the average golf fan, Mickelson’s new role as host of the 61st American Express golf tournament in the desert puts him in the same company as the other Hall of Famers and major championship icons.

“American Express asked that myself and my foundation take on a bigger role. The PGA Tour asked that we take on a bigger role,” Mickelson said. “My wife, Amy, and I have decided that this is the right fit, and we want to have a more direct involvement in the charitable support and contributions here in the valley.”

Mickelson, a 44-time winner on the PGA Tour including five major championships, becomes the third full-time host of the desert’s PGA Tour event that began in 1960. Bob Hope famously hosted the event from 1965 through his last appearances at the event in 2000. Comedian George Lopez hosted the tournament in 2007 and 2008. Arnold Palmer served as a host in 2009, but only for the one year, the tournament’s 50th playing.

Now comes Mickelson, the 49-year-old star who won the desert’s tournament in 2002 and 2004. But Mickelson’s role as host isn’t a complete surprise. Since the 2017 tournament, Mickelson has served as the ambassador for the event, a role that was more behind the scenes than his new hosting role. In essence, Mickelson’s role was to talk up the tournament and its early season benefits to his fellow players.

“My role has been get the message out on why and how this tournament is the best place to start the year because we have perfect weather, which is why the courses are by the mountain,” Mickelson said. “So we don’t have wind, so that we give the players a chance to build a foundation for the upcoming year.”

Now, with American Express coming to the tournament as the new title sponsor with a five-year commitment, Mickelson felt ready to expand his own role.

“Now we have the partner that we want to bring it to a whole other level,” Mickelson added.

A desert connection for Mickelson

For many fans, Mickelson might not be the obvious choice to host a tournament in the Coachella Valley. He grew up in San Diego, where he still lives, and remains a large figure in Arizona golf, having played collegiately at Arizona State and having won his first PGA Tour event at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open in Tucson as an amateur.

But the Coachella Valley has been an important area for Mickelson’s career as well. He won an American Junior Golf Association event at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage in 1988. By 1993, he was on the PGA Tour and playing in the Bob Hope.

At times, Mickelson’s relationship has been up and down at the tournament. After missing five years from 1995 to 1999. Mickelson became more established in the tournament, including dramatic playoff wins in 2002 and 2004.

Despite another four-year gap in playing the event starting in 2008, his local play has included a fifth-place finish in 2006, a third in 2016 and a nail-biting runner-up finish in 2019, where he lost the title to Adam Long when Long birdied the final hole at the Stadium Course at PGA West.

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Toss in some appearances in the old Skins Game in the 2000s, plus the fact that the Mickelsons own a home at Madison Club in La Quinta, and Mickelson’s hosting of the American Express makes more sense.

“It’s always been an important part of my life. I would come out here and play junior tournaments here,” Mickelson said. “I’ve always been passionate about here, and I love the tournament itself. But more than that, this tournament has meant historically a lot to this area, and I want to bring back the vision of Bob Hope.”

Adding luster to the event

The tournament and the PGA Tour hope that Mickelson brings more to the tournament than just sharp iron play or a red-hot putter.

Jeff Sanders, executive director of the American Express event for tournament operator Lagardere Sports, says Mickelson’s fan base rivals Arnie’s Army, the devoted fans of Arnold Palmer, the only golfer to win the desert tournament more than twice. That popularity could translate into a higher profile for the event for professionals and fans.

“(Mickelson) is deeply committed to the charities in the Coachella Valley and promises to keep the money here,” Sanders said. “It’s not going anywhere. The money made on this tournament will stay in the valley.”

“He’s just so outgoing,” said Long, who played in the final round in the final group with Mickelson in the 2019 American Express. “He’ll just tell you stories without even asking him. He’s hilarious. You can’t help but stop and listen to him.”

Now five months from his 50th birthday, Mickelson’s best winning days may be behind him, and his world ranking slipped outside the top 50 in 2019 for the first time in 26 years. After an off-season that included missing a berth on a U.S. team – this one for the President Cup – for the first time in 24 Presidents or Ryder cups, Mickelson says he’s working hard to return to a winning form on the West Coast swing.

But Mickelson is also showing his fans a different side of himself with a Twitter series called “Phireside with Phil,” where he interviews family and friends or talks about his prodigious calves, often with tongue firmly set in his check.

Bringing back the days of Hope

Still, Mickelson showed in the 2019 season he remains a force, with the second-place finish in the American Express followed three weeks later by a win in the AT&T Pebble Beach tournament.

He’ll try to get back to the top of the leader board at the American Express, but he’ll do so with added duties of hosting parties, doing some appearances on television and other to-be-determined duties as host. Mickelson hopes his addition to the event along with American Express can upgrade one of the tour’s oldest and more historic tournaments.

“Our goal is to take the intention of Bob Hope 60 years ago and reignite that,” Mickelson said. “So the commitment to the community, the commitment to the charitable contributions, the commitment to the CEOs and (musical acts), and make it a unique experience. Because the celebrities give us a chance to expose golf to a lot of those who don’t normally play it.”

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