By Kevin Currie Jan 15, 2007, 19:50 GMT
Comedian George Lopez, who has been a regular amateur golfer at this event in recent years, was named tournament host.
Lopez will be joined in the field by actors Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), Craig T. Nelson (Coach), Ray Romano (Everybody Love Raymond) and local favorite Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry). Other big names include musicians Alice Cooper, Kenny G and Huey Lewis, former U.S. Olympic Hockey captain Mike Eruzione and baseball star Roger Clemens.
Last year, Chad Campbell opened with rounds of 63-66 to grab the lead, which he would not give up. He finished the event at 25-under-par 335, three clear of two players.
With the amateurs playing along side the professionals this week, the four- course rota includes The Classic Club, the Palmer Course at PGA West, Bermuda Dunes Country Club and La Quinta Country Club. The Classic Club will again host the final round.
Returning to action this week for the first time since the Ryder Cup is reigning Masters champion Phil Mickelson. He had taken the fall off to spend more time with his family and makes his return at an event he won in 2002 and 2004.
Next week's tournament is the Buick Invitational in San Diego. World No. 1 Tiger Woods is the defending champion and he will make his first appearance on tour this year there next week. The Golf Channel will again cover the entire event starting with Wednesday's opening round.
EUROPEAN TOUR
ABU DHABI GOLF CHMAPIONSHIP, Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - As the PGA Tour hits the West Coast, the European Tour shifts to the Persian Gulf for the first of three straight events in the region.
Last year, American Chris DiMarco appeared in a European Tour event for the first time outside the majors and World Golf Championship events. It was a worthwhile trip, too, as he walked away with the title. DiMarco closed with rounds of 67-63-67 to win by one stroke over Henrik Stenson.
DiMarco has his work cut out if he hopes to repeat as champion. Among those in the field this week will be 2006 Order of Merit champion Padraig Harrington as well as World Nos. 8 and 13 Retief Goosen and Stenson.
The field boasts five of the top-15 players in the world rankings and 22 winners from the European Tour's 2006 International Schedule.
Joining that stellar field will be Notah Begay III, a newcomer to the European Tour. Begay, a former teammate of Tiger Woods at Stanford and PGA Tour regular, earned his European Tour playing privileges via Qualifying School in November.
The Golf Channel has four days of coverage of this event as well.
Next week, the tour remains in the Persian Gulf region for the Qatar Masters, where Stenson was victorious last year.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
MASTERCARD CHAMPIONSHIP AT HUALALAI, Hualalai Golf Course, Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii - The Champions Tour kicks off in Hawaii this week with a limited-field event.
The MasterCard Championship includes major championship winners of the last five years and other tournament winners of the last two years, as well as sponsor invitees Ben Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd, Gary Player and Lanny Wadkins. The field consists of 41 players.
Loren Roberts opened with a stellar 63, but needed to shoot an even better round on the final day to win the crown in 2006.
The Boss of the Moss scorched Hualalai Golf Club for an 11-under 61 in the final round to fend off Don Pooley by one stroke. Pooley closed with this worst round of the week, a seven-under 65.
The Golf Channel will be busy this week, as it will cover all three days of this event also.
The Champions Tour remains in Hawaii next week for the Turtle Bay Championship, where Roberts also won last year.
LPGA TOUR
WOMEN'S WORLD CUP OF GOLF, Gary Player Country Club, Sun City, South Africa - The Women's World Cup of Golf will be contested for the third time this week. The first two years have seen Japan and Sweden claim the title.
However, none of the four players that comprised those two teams will be competing this week.
Sweden's team last year was Liselotte Neumann and women's world No. 1 Annika Sorenstam. This year Carin Koch and Helen Alfredsson will represent the Swedes.
Neumann and Sorenstam won despite stumbling to a three-over 147 on the final round in 2006. Scotland took second place by posting the lone score in red figures with a three-under 141. Catriona Matthew shot three-under, while teammate Janice Moodie was even par in the final round.
Moodie will be joined by Mhari McKay this year for the Scots. France is represented by Stephanie Arricau and Gwladys Nocera, Paraguay's team is Celeste Troche and Julieta Granada, while the United States will be represented by Pat Hurst and Juli Inkster.
The format of this 54-hole competition is 18 holes of foursomes, 18 holes of four-ball and 18 holes of stroke play. The Golf Channel has tape-delayed converage of all three rounds.
The LPGA returns to action in Hawaii with the SBS Open at Turtle Bay. Joo Mi Kim will defend her title at that event which will be February 15th to 17th.
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