The PGA Tour Thursday announced the Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, Calif., will now be called the Humana Challenge and feature several changes to the format beginning in '12. The week of the tournament will include events focused on the "participatory wellness" of fans. An eight-year agreement with Humana and the William J. Clinton Foundation was signed in April (PGA Tour). PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem Thursday said, "All of our tournaments are organized for charitable purposes around over the country. ... But this is a step in a different direction. We're going to take the week ... and talk about wellness issues. Humana, being a company that’s very interested in wellness, the Clinton Foundation’s already done some things with wellness (and) Bob Hope’s legacy is that he lived until 100 because he walked every day. So we want to get people walking and talking about these issues” (“Morning Joe,” MSNBC, 6/30). GOLFWEEK's Alex Miceli cited sources as saying that the "issue of the event’s name has been contentious and a decision was not made until Wednesday, with continual negotiations between Humana, the Clinton Foundation, the Hope and Tour staffers.” The format is changing to “four rounds, not five, beginning Thursday of tournament week, with the first three rounds played in a pro-am format.” Hope’s family agreed to “continually support the event in the use of Bob Hope’s name” after his death in '03 as long as the tournament "would be operated for the raising and distribution of charitable funds” (GOLFWEEK.com, 6/29).
KEEP HOPE ALIVE: Humana Challenge Tournament Chair Larry Thiel said the name change was "something that no one even wanted to think about considering." Thiel: "But given the reality of today's economy, with corporations looking to make the kind of commitment it takes to be a sponsor, there has to be something more than just, 'I enjoy golf.' There has to be something for the corporation" (Palm Springs DESERT SUN, 7/1). Sports Business Group President David Carter said, "Having celebrities' names attached to these tournaments may have at some point driven notoriety, but in this era, you need to have cash" (L.A. TIMES, 7/1). In Palm Springs, Larry Bohannan wrote, "There is no way you should be surprised by this. You could see it coming for a couple years" (DESERTSUN.com, 6/30). YAHOO SPORTS' Shane Bacon wrote Humana deserves credit for "coming up with the idea of a Bob Hope Trophy to give to the winner, keeping the legacy alive for even longer" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/30).
