| The American Express | |
| Establishment: | 1960 |
| Course: | La Quinta Country Club PGA West (Stadium Course) (Nicklaus Tournament Course) |
| Par: | 72 |
| Yardage: | (LQ) (S) (NT) |
| Org: | Impact Through Golf |
| Tour: | PGA Tour |
| Format: | Stroke play |
| Month Played: | January |
| To-Par: | 72 holes: −29 as above 90 holes: −36 as above |
| Current Champion: |  Nick Dunlap (a) |
| Map: | USA#USA California |
| Map Label: | PGA West |
| Map Relief: | yes |
| Map Size: | 200 |
| Coordinates: | 33.643°N -116.257°W |
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, 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]
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:
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]
The professional field consists of 156 players selected using (slightly reordered) standard eligibility rankings except that the following are also eligible:[11] [12]
There is no open qualifying for the tournament. The event also reserves an exemption for the winner of the Southern California PGA Championship.
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]
| Venue | Years | Times | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987, 2016–present | 10 | ||
| PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course | 2016–present | 9 | |
| La Quinta Country Club | 1964–1986, 1988, 1991–1992, 1994–1995, 1997–1998, 2000–2001, 2003, 2005–2008, 2010–present | 52 | |
| PGA West Palmer Course | 1988–1994, 1998–2015 | 25 | |
| PGA West Nicklaus Private Course | 2009–2015 | 7 | |
| SilverRock Resort | 2008–2011 | 4 | |
| Bermuda Dunes | 1960–2007, 2009 | 49 | |
| Classic Club | 2006–2008 | 3 | |
| Indian Wells Country Club Classic Course | 1960–2005 | 46 | |
| 1960–1963, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2004 | 19 | ||
| Indian Ridge Country Club Grove Course | 1995–1997 | 3 | |
| Eldorado Country Club | 1963–1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989 | 17 | |
| 1960–1962 | 3 |
| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Purse ($) | Winner's share ($) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The American Express | ||||||||
| Nick Dunlap (a) | 259 | −29 | 1 stroke |  Christiaan Bezuidenhout | 8,400,000 | 1,512,000 | ||
 Jon Rahm (2) | 261 | −27 | 1 stroke | 8,000,000 | 1,440,000 | |||
| Hudson Swafford (2) | 265 | −23 | 2 strokes | 7,600,000 | 1,368,000 | |||
| 265 | −23 | 1 stroke | 6,700,000 | 1,206,000 | ||||
| 262 | −26 | 2 strokes |  Abraham Ancer | 6,700,000 | 1,206,000 | |||
| Desert Classic | ||||||||
| 262 | −26 | 1 stroke | 5,900,000 | 1,062,000 | ||||
| CareerBuilder Challenge | ||||||||
| 266 | −22 | Playoff | 5,900,000 | 1,062,000 | ||||
| 268 | −20 | 1 stroke | 5,800,000 | 1,044,000 | ||||
| 263 | −25 | Playoff | 5,800,000 | 1,044,000 | ||||
| Humana Challenge | ||||||||
| Bill Haas (2) | 266 | −22 | 1 stroke | 5,700,000 | 1,026,000 | |||
| 260 | −28 | 2 strokes | 5,700,000 | 1,026,000 | ||||
| 263 | −25 | Playoff | 5,600,000 | 1,008,000 | ||||
| 264 | −24 | 2 strokes | 5,600,000 | 1,008,000 | ||||
| Bob Hope Classic | ||||||||
| 333 | −27 | Playoff | 5,000,000 | 900,000 | ||||
| 330 | −30 | 1 stroke | 5,000,000 | 900,000 | ||||
| 327 | −33 | 3 strokes | 5,100,000 | 918,000 | ||||
| Bob Hope Chrysler Classic | ||||||||
| 334 | −26 | 3 strokes | 5,100,000 | 918,000 | ||||
| 343 | −17 | Playoff | 5,000,000 | 900,000 | ||||
| 335 | −25 | 3 strokes | 5,000,000 | 900,000 | ||||
| 332 | −28 | 3 strokes | 4,700,000 | 846,000 | ||||
| Phil Mickelson (2) | 330 | −30 | Playoff | 4,500,000 | 810,000 | |||
| 330 | −30 | 2 strokes | 4,500,000 | 810,000 | ||||
| 330 | −30 | Playoff | 4,000,000 | 720,000 | ||||
| 324 | −36 | 4 strokes | 3,500,000 | 630,000 | ||||
| 331 | −27 | 1 stroke | 3,000,000 | 540,000 | ||||
| 334 | −26 | 1 stroke | 3,000,000 | 540,000 | ||||
| 332 | −28 | Playoff | 2,300,000 | 414,000 | ||||
| John Cook (2) | 327 | −33 | 1 stroke | 1,500,000 | 270,000 | |||
| 337 | −23 | 1 stroke | 1,300,000 | 234,000 | ||||
| 335 | −25 | 1 stroke | 1,200,000 | 216,000 | ||||
| 334 | −26 | 3 strokes | 1,100,000 | 198,000 | ||||
| 325 | −35 | 6 strokes | 1,100,000 | 198,000 | ||||
| 336 | −24 | Playoff | 1,100,000 | 198,000 | ||||
| Corey Pavin (2) | 331 | −29 | Playoff | 1,100,000 | 198,000 | |||
| 339 | −21 | 1 stroke | 1,000,000 | 180,000 | ||||
| 343 | −17 | Playoff | 1,000,000 | 180,000 | ||||
| 338 | −22 | 2 strokes | 1,000,000 | 180,000 | ||||
| 341 | −19 | 1 stroke | 900,000 | 162,000 | ||||
| 335 | −25 | Playoff | 650,000 | 108,000 | ||||
| Bob Hope Classic | ||||||||
| 333 | −27 | Playoff | 555,000 | 90,000 | ||||
| John Mahaffey (2) | 340 | −20 | Playoff | 433,000 | 72,000 | |||
| Bob Hope Desert Classic | ||||||||
| 335 | −25 | Playoff | 408,000 | 67,500 | ||||
| 335 | −25 | Playoff | 304,500 | 50,000 | ||||
| 335 | −25 | 2 strokes | 304,500 | 50,000 | ||||
| 343 | −17 | 2 strokes | 304,500 | 50,000 | ||||
| 343 | −17 | 1 stroke | 300,000 | 50,000 | ||||
| 339 | −21 | 2 strokes | 225,000 | 45,000 | ||||
| 337 | −23 | 6 strokes | 200,000 | 40,000 | ||||
| Johnny Miller (2) | 344 | −16 | 3 strokes | 180,000 | 36,000 | |||
| 339 | −21 | 3 strokes | 160,000 | 32,000 | ||||
| 341 | −19 | 2 strokes | 160,000 | 32,048 | ||||
| Arnold Palmer (5) | 343 | −17 | 2 strokes | 160,000 | 32,000 | |||
| 344 | −16 | 1 stroke | 145,000 | 29,000 | ||||
| Arnold Palmer (4) | 342 | −18 | Playoff | 140,000 | 28,000 | |||
| 339 | −21 | 4 strokes | 125,000 | 25,000 | ||||
| Billy Casper (2) | 345 | −15 | 3 strokes | 100,000 | 20,000 | |||
| Arnold Palmer (3) | 348 | −12 | Playoff | 100,000 | 20,000 | |||
| 349 | −11 | 1 stroke | 88,000 | 17,600 | ||||
| 349 | −11 | Playoff | 80,000 | 15,000 | ||||
| Billy Casper | 348 | −12 | 1 stroke | 80,000 | 15,000 | |||
| Palm Springs Golf Classic | ||||||||
| 353 | −7 | Playoff | 50,000 | 7,500 | ||||
| 345 | −13 | Playoff | 50,000 | 9,000 | ||||
| Arnold Palmer (2) | 342 | −17 | 3 strokes | 35,000 | 5,300 | |||
| 345 | −14 | 2 strokes | 52,000 | 5,300 | ||||
| Palm Springs Desert Golf Classic | ||||||||
| 338 | −20 | 3 strokes | 70,000 | 12,000 | ||||
Ten men have won this tournament more than once through 2023.
Period = from:1959 till:2029TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalPlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#Colors = id:line value:black id:bg value:white
id:Non value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8) # Use this color to denote a non-host course id:1rh value:rgb(0.7,0.3,0.7) # Use this color to denote a host course that was not part of the pre-cut rota id:Host value:rgb(0.95,0,1) # Use this color to denote a host course
PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:Host from:1960 till:1961 text:Thunderbird Country Club bar:1 color:Non from:1961 till:1963
bar:2 color:Non from:1960 till:1962 text:Bermuda Dunes Country Club bar:2 color:1rh from:1962 till:1963 bar:2 color:Non from:1963 till:1965 bar:2 color:Host from:1965 till:1966 bar:2 color:Non from:1966 till:1968 bar:2 color:Host from:1968 till:1969 bar:2 color:Non from:1969 till:1971 bar:2 color:Host from:1971 till:1972 bar:2 color:Non from:1972 till:1973 bar:2 color:Host from:1973 till:1974 bar:2 color:Non from:1974 till:1975 bar:2 color:Host from:1975 till:1976 bar:2 color:Non from:1976 till:1978 bar:2 color:Host from:1978 till:1979 bar:2 color:Non from:1979 till:1981 bar:2 color:Host from:1981 till:1982 bar:2 color:Non from:1982 till:1984 bar:2 color:Host from:1984 till:1985 bar:2 color:Non from:1985 till:1986 bar:2 color:Host from:1986 till:1987 bar:2 color:Non from:1987 till:1989 bar:2 color:Host from:1989 till:1990 bar:2 color:Non from:1990 till:1992 bar:2 color:Host from:1992 till:1993 bar:2 color:Non from:1993 till:1995 bar:2 color:Host from:1995 till:1996 bar:2 color:Non from:1996 till:1998 bar:2 color:Host from:1998 till:1999 bar:2 color:Non from:1999 till:2000 bar:2 color:Host from:2000 till:2001 bar:2 color:Non from:2001 till:2010
bar:3 color:Non from:1960 till:1963 text:Indian Wells Country Club bar:3 color:Host from:1963 till:1964 bar:3 color:Non from:1964 till:1966 bar:3 color:Host from:1966 till:1967 bar:3 color:Non from:1967 till:1969 bar:3 color:Host from:1969 till:1970 bar:3 color:Non from:1970 till:1972 bar:3 color:Host from:1972 till:1973 bar:3 color:Non from:1973 till:1974 bar:3 color:Host from:1974 till:1975 bar:3 color:Non from:1975 till:1976 bar:3 color:Host from:1976 till:1977 bar:3 color:Non from:1977 till:1979 bar:3 color:Host from:1979 till:1980 bar:3 color:Non from:1980 till:1982 bar:3 color:Host from:1982 till:1983 bar:3 color:Non from:1983 till:1985 bar:3 color:Host from:1985 till:1986 bar:3 color:Non from:1986 till:1988 bar:3 color:Host from:1988 till:1989 bar:3 color:Non from:1989 till:1991 bar:3 color:Host from:1991 till:1992 bar:3 color:Non from:1992 till:1994 bar:3 color:Host from:1994 till:1995 bar:3 color:Non from:1995 till:1997 bar:3 color:Host from:1997 till:1998 bar:3 color:Non from:1998 till:2005
bar:4 color:Non from:1960 till:1961 text:Tamarisk Country Club bar:4 color:1rh from:1961 till:1962 bar:4 color:Non from:1962 till:1964 bar:4 color:Non from:1969 till:1970 bar:4 color:Non from:1971 till:1972 bar:4 color:Non from:1973 till:1974 bar:4 color:Non from:1975 till:1976 bar:4 color:Non from:1977 till:1978 bar:4 color:Non from:1979 till:1980 bar:4 color:Non from:1981 till:1982 bar:4 color:Non from:1983 till:1984 bar:4 color:Non from:1985 till:1986 bar:4 color:Non from:1990 till:1991 bar:4 color:Non from:1993 till:1994 bar:4 color:Non from:1996 till:1997 bar:4 color:Non from:1999 till:2000 bar:4 color:Non from:2002 till:2003 bar:4 color:Non from:2005 till:2006
bar:5 color:Non from:1961 till:1964 text:Eldorado Country Club bar:5 color:Host from:1964 till:1965 bar:5 color:Non from:1965 till:1969 bar:5 color:Non from:1970 till:1971 bar:5 color:Non from:1972 till:1973 bar:5 color:Non from:1974 till:1975 bar:5 color:Non from:1976 till:1977 bar:5 color:Non from:1978 till:1979 bar:5 color:Non from:1980 till:1981 bar:5 color:Non from:1982 till:1983 bar:5 color:Non from:1984 till:1985 bar:5 color:Non from:1986 till:1988 bar:5 color:Non from:1989 till:1990
bar:6 color:Non from:1964 till:1967 text:La Quinta Country Club bar:6 color:Host from:1967 till:1968 bar:6 color:Non from:1968 till:1970 bar:6 color:Host from:1970 till:1971 bar:6 color:Non from:1971 till:1977 bar:6 color:Host from:1977 till:1978 bar:6 color:Non from:1978 till:1980 bar:6 color:Host from:1980 till:1981 bar:6 color:Non from:1981 till:1983 bar:6 color:Host from:1983 till:1984 bar:6 color:Non from:1984 till:1987 bar:6 color:Non from:1988 till:1989 bar:6 color:Non from:1991 till:1993 bar:6 color:Non from:1994 till:1996 bar:6 color:Non from:1997 till:1999 bar:6 color:Non from:2000 till:2002 bar:6 color:Non from:2003 till:2008 bar:6 color:Non from:2010 till:2021 bar:6 color:Non from:2022 till:2025
bar:7 color:Host from:1987 till:1988 text:PGA West Stadium Course bar:7 color:Host from:2016 till:2025
bar:8 color:Non from:1988 till:1990 text:PGA West Palmer Private Course bar:8 color:Host from:1990 till:1991 bar:8 color:Non from:1991 till:1993 bar:8 color:Host from:1993 till:1994 bar:8 color:Non from:1994 till:1995 bar:8 color:Non from:1998 till:1999 bar:8 color:Host from:1999 till:2000 bar:8 color:Non from:2000 till:2001 bar:8 color:Host from:2001 till:2006 bar:8 color:Non from:2006 till:2009 bar:8 color:Host from:2009 till:2016
bar:9 color:Non from:1995 till:1996 text:Indian Ridge Country Club bar:9 color:Host from:1996 till:1997 bar:9 color:Non from:1997 till:1998
bar:10 color:Host from:2006 till:2009 text:The Classic Club
bar:11 color:Non from:2008 till:2012 text:SilverRock Resort
bar:12 color:Non from:2009 till:2016 text:PGA West Nicklaus Private Course
bar:13 color:Non from:2016 till:2025 text:PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:black unit:year increment:5 start:1960TextData = fontsize:L textcolor:black pos:(0,30) tabs:(550-center) text:^"Desert Classic courses" Legend:
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.
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.