The Tour makes its way from Hawaii to California this week for the 60th edition of what was once the Bob Hope Classic. While it may not have the celebrity firepower of years past, the field of PGA pros more than makes up for it. So without further ado, let’s get to the good stuff.
TOURNAMENT
-Desert Classic
-First stop on U.S. mainland in 2019
-12 of top-30 ranked golfers in the field
-Full field here
-Tee Times here
COURSE
-Three courses are in rotation for this event
-Players will rotate between:
-TPC Stadium Course at PGA West, 7,113 yards, par 72
-PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament course (7,159/72)
-La Quinta CC (7,060/72)
-TPC Stadium Course is the “Main” course and will play host to the full field in the final round
-Players will rotate rounds on the first three courses between Thursday and Saturday
Previous Winners & Scores
2018 — Jon Rahm (266 Total)
2017 — Hudson Swafford (268)
2016 — Jason Dufner (263)
2015 — Bill Haas (266)
2014 — Patrick Reed (260)
TV Times
Thursday-Sunday, 3-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
HANDICAPPING THE FIELD
Spreadsheet Data includes:
– Betting Odds
-Recent Form
-Tournament History
-Stats Ranking
-Simulator Ranking
These come together to form an average, and a final ranking is determined. I also show the difference between their original ranking and “my” ranking.
Best Bets and Match-ups are below as well
Top-Ten
20-50
50-100
Best Bets this week
Outright (To win)
Charles Howell III (20/1 Odds)
Jon Rahm (7/1)
Lucas Glover (45/1)
Chez Reavie (40/1)
Adam Hadwin (28/1)
Top Fades
Danny Willett (Down 49 spots in my rankings from 25 to 74)
Russell Henley (Down 48 spots)
Brian Harman (Down 44 spots)
Top Matchups
Chez Reavie def. Abraham Ancer
Sungjae Im def. Kevin Kisner
Zach Johnson def. Charl Schwartzel
Ryan Palmer def Peter Uihlein
Year-to-date
Outright picks — 6 of 10 picks finished in top-ten
— Picked Winner in 1 of 2 Events
Matchups — 3 Wins, 1 Loss on the season so far
