Pro golf events this week | January 18-24, 2016

 

PGA TOUR

CAREERBUILDER CHALLENGE

 

Site: La Quinta, California.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Courses: TPC Stadium Course at PGA West (7,113 yards, par 72), Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West (7,159 yards, par 72) and La Quinta Country Club (7,060 yards, par 72).

Purse: $5.8 million. Winner's share: $1,044,000.

 

Last year: Bill Haas beat five players by a stroke. He also won the 2010 tournament.

 

Last week: Argentina's Fabian Gomez won the Sony Open in Hawaii, beating Brandt Snedeker with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff. Gomez had 10 birdies — seven in a row — in a closing 8-under 62.

 

Notes: Phil Mickelson is making his first start since the Presidents Cup in October. The 2002 and 2004 tournament champion is winless since the 2013 British Open. ... The Stadium and Nicklaus Tournament courses replaced PGA West's Palmer and Nicklaus private layouts in the course rotation. The final round will be played on the Stadium Course, used once previously in the tournament in 1987. ... In 2014, Patrick Reed shot 63-63-63-71 for a two-stroke victory. He broke the PGA Tour record for relation to par for the first 54 holes at 27 under and became the first player in tour history to open with three rounds of 63 or better. ... The tournament, long known as the Bob Hope Classic, was shortened from 90 to 72 holes in 2012. ... David Duval shot a 59 on the Palmer Course in the final round of his 1999 victory. ... Arnold Palmer won the first event in 1960 and added victories in 1962, '68, '71 and '73. ... The Farmers Insurance Open is next week in San Diego, followed by the Phoenix Open.

 

 

EUROPEAN TOUR

ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Site: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: Abu Dhabi Golf Club (7,583 yards, par 72).

Purse: $2.7 million. Winner's share: $450,000.

 

Last year: France's Gary Stal closed with a 7-under 65 to beat Rory McIlroy by a stroke. Martin Kaymer, 10 shots ahead with 13 holes left, had a 75 to finish two strokes back.

 

Last week: Englishmen Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Andy Sullivan won all three of their matches to help Europe rout Asia 18 1/2-5 1/2 in the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia. ... South Africa's Haydn Porteous won the Joburg Open for his first European Tour title. He closed with a 3-under 69 for a two-stroke victory.

 

Notes: Top-ranked Jordan Spieth is coming off a victory two weeks ago in Hawaii in the PGA Tour's Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He won the Masters and U.S. Open last year, tied for the PGA Tour victory lead with five and took the FedExCup title. ... McIlroy also is in the field along with Poulter, Westwood, Kaymer, Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson. Kaymer won in 2008, 2010 and 2011. ... The Qatar Masters is next week, followed by the Dubai Desert Classic.

 

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Site: Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii.

Schedule: Thursday-Saturday.

Course: Hualalai Golf Course (7,107 yards, par 72).

Purse: $1.8 million. Winner's share: $309,000.

 

Last year: Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez rallied to win the season-opening event. He birdied six of the final nine holes for a one-stroke victory over Mark O'Meara.

 

Notes: The tournament opens the 50-and-over tour's 26-event 2016 schedule. ... The 44-player field features major champions from the last five years, other tournament winners in the last two seasons and sponsor invitees. ... Bernhard Langer won in 2009 and 2014. He has 25 career victories on the tour, winning twice last year en route to his third Charles Schwab Cup points title. ... Vijay Singh, Davis Love III and Fred Funk played last week in the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Honolulu. Funk tied for 42nd, Singh tied for 50th, and Love failed to advance to the final round. ... John Daly will be 50 on April 28. ... The tour is off next week. Play will resume Feb. 5-7 with the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Florida.

 

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