Perez relives first PGA title

Larry Bohannan
The Desert Sun

Dennis Quaid, Jerry Ferrara, Jason Taylor among celebrities added

LA QUINTA — Pat Perez's connection to the desert and its golf courses goes back well beyond his three-shot victory in last year's Bob Hope Classic.

“I love the desert. I've been coming here since 1992 or 1993 when I played in a member-guest with a buddy of mine,” Perez said Monday during the Hope's media day for its 51st tournament next month. “I've got a lot of memories here. I used to live just over the hill from San Diego and I used to come to the La Quinta area often.”

When Perez returns to the desert next month, he'll do so in defense of his first career PGA Tour victory. Perez will lead a field of 128 pros and about 30 celebrities who will play in the tour's only five-day, four-course event.

Tournament officials used the media day not only to showcase Perez and announce the early commitments among pros and celebrities for the tournament, but also to talk about the tournament's first year without a title sponsor.

Chrysler, which had been the title sponsor since 1986, canceled its contract last summer just months after filing for bankruptcy and taking billions of dollars in federal bailout money. But the tournament will go on in 2010 and perhaps beyond even without a sponsor, tournament president John Foster said.

“We will host ourselves as long as it takes to get a title sponsor,” Foster said. “We want a good one. We will march on with that goal.”

Foster said one of the things the tournament was proud of was being able to build a reserve of cash through the years just in case, as he said, an earthquake hit and they still wanted to fund the event's charities. The earthquake hit, Foster said, but it wasn't the San Andreas Fault that broke loose. Instead, it was a financial earthquake that hit in the Chrysler bankruptcy.

Perez recalled the Hope's final day last year at PGA West, where strong winds played havoc with the golfers. Perez managed a 3-under 69 on the Palmer Course, including a memorable eagle on the final hole that day, for a 33-under 327 winning total.

“I had 199 (yards to the hole) and the wind was perfect, down off the right,” Perez said of the shot to secure his victory. “You've got plenty of room right. I just kind of pulled mine a little bit.”

The ball finished 3 feet from the cup, securing Perez the title, the $918,000 first-prize check and a Chrysler car that he gave to his caddie.

Perez leads the list of early commitments to the tournament that includes past Hope winners Justin Leonard and Kenny Perry, two-time 2009 tour winner Brian Gay and past tour winners Jerry Kelly, Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, David Toms and Boo Weekley. Players have until Jan. 15, the Friday before the tournament, to commit to the event.

Among the celebrities announced Monday were familiar Hope names such as Alice Cooper, Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Bolton, Jeffery Donovan, Kevin Nealon and local resident's William Devane and Kurt Russell. Among the new names to the event will be Robby Krieger, guitarist and songwriter for The Doors, hockey's Jeremy Roenick, football's Jason Taylor, actor Jerry Ferrara from “Entourage,” and actress Stephanie Szostak from the film “The Devil Wears Prada.” Other names who have played in previous Hopes include musician Kenny G, baseball's Greg Maddux and Evan Longoria, actors Anthony Anderson, Dennis Quaid, Oliver Hudson and Chris O'Donnell, multi-sport star Bo Jackson, football's Sterling Sharpe, comedian Tom Dreesen and singers Josh Kelly and Clay Walker.

Hope officials also announced some tournament additions, including a celebrity dinner at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert to be hosted by Goldie Hawn, an event that will raise money for desert charities. The tournament also will take the par-3 17th hole on the host Palmer Course at PGA West and develop a more intimate party setting at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains.

“We will have grandstands behind the green, we will have table tops sitting along the canal,” said Hope board member Clarke Rheney. “It will create and intimate environment. We are not going after a Scottsdale-type party. It is going to be a positive influence.”