They say change is good. They, in this case, are PGA Tour players who’ll be teeing it up today in La Quinta at the Humana Challenge — formerly the Bob Hope Classic. More than the name is different, of course: Only three courses will be used, instead of the usual four-course rotation. PGA West’s Nicklaus Private and Palmer Private are in the mix, along with La Quinta Country Club. The event — played this year in partnership with the Clinton Foundation — will be four rounds instead of five. Each foursome will feature two amateurs and two pros instead of the previous, sometimes slow-going three-amateurs-to-one-pro ratio.
“I think it’s all really good change,” said Idyllwild native Brendan Steele, a PGA Tour sophomore who’ll make his second start at the tournament at 10:20 this morning at the Nicklaus Course. The problem, Steele said, was logistical. The tournament used to begin Wednesday, which meant players had to rush from the Sony Open, the first full-field event in Hawaii, to California. And then they’d have to cram to prepare to play four courses.
“That’s a really, really hard, quick turnaround,” Steele said by phone. “Guys like the tournament and they like the course and the weather and the area, but the format held it back. I think it’ll get better this year and every year from here on out.”
For his part, Steele — who’ll be paired today with actor Greg Kinnear, an Oscar nominee for his supporting role in 1997’s “As Good as It Gets” — said he has plans on playing the event from here on out.
He got to begin his season at the Tournament of Champions two weeks ago, but he skipped the Sony Open so he’d be sharp for the Humana — where last season he missed the cut after shooting a second-round 71 and a third-round 74.
“I want to be ready for the Hope, that’s the home game for me,” said Steele, who honed his game at Hemet High and UC Riverside. “It was tough last year coming from Hawaii, but not having to do that this year, I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”