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The Bob Hope Classic: Go Deep or Stay Home

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By Scott MacLeod, via www.flagstick.com

Endless times throughout the year post-round player interviews unveil a compendium of excuses about a pros inability to score. The winds were too high; it was too cold; or the course conditions were sketchy. 128 members of the PGA Tour will have to find something else to talk about this week as the Bob Hope Classic kicks of Wednesday in La Quinta, California.

Golf in the dome-like atmosphere of the California desert still does present a challenge – if you plan on winning you better plan on going REAL deep over five days of play. In 2010 Bill Haas (pictured) posted 330 (-30) for the win and to even sniff a piece of the top 18 you needed to be twenty under par. Conservative players need not apply.

Haas is back in the field this year, as are fourteen other past champions. The defender looks to be in fine form after an 8th place finish at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He will attempt to be the first back-to-back winner since Johnny Miller pulled off the feat in 1975-76. Bill’s father, Jay Haas, won the tournament in 1988. 

Not being in the field last week at the SONY Open in Hawaii may be a blessing for Haas who should be much more rested than the majority of the field. There were a lot of tails dragging after those who made the cut this past Sunday had to play 36 holes on the final day. 

Surprisingly, at press time, there had been just one withdrawal from the tournament. That was Chris Riley, although lots of eyes are on Ricky Barnes (withdraw from Sony with bad back) and Tim Clark (complained of blisters on feet on Sunday at Sony) as possible late dropouts.

2010 PGA Tour money leader Matt Kuchar is a strong candidate for a big performance this week. The 2010 Nelson Award and Vardon Trophy winner tied for 5th last week and was a runner-up at the 2010 Bob Hope alongside Tim Clark and Bubba Watson.

Kuchar and Clark are among five players in the field that are within the top ten of the 2011 PGA Tour money list. SONY Open in Hawaii winner Mark Wilson is part of that contingent, in the number two spot, and is looking to score his fourth PGA Tour win here in the California desert.

While the hit and giggle atmosphere of the pro-am format does lighten up things somewhat this early event is serious business for the rookie pros trying to make early money and enhance their standings in the tour’s pecking order. Now that many of them have their first event under their belt at the SONY, don’t be surprised if they feel a little more comfortable and get in the mix this week. Look for guys like Jhonnatan Vegas, Ben Martin, or Brendan Steele to make their way to the upper half of the field. They know how to go low and the Bob Hope Classic is the perfect place to show your ability to score.

Bob Hope Classic Summary

Dates: January 17-23, 2011

Where: Arnold Palmer Private/PGA West; La Quinta, CA Par/Yards: 72/6,950

Jack Nicklaus Private/PGA West; La Quinta, CA Par/Yards: 72/6,951

La Quinta CC; La Quinta, CA Par/Yards: 72/7,060

Palmer Course at SilverRock Resort, La Quinta, CA Par/Yards: 72/7,578

Field: 128 PGA TOUR players, 384 amateurs and 30 celebrities

FedExCup Points: 500

Format: 90-hole stroke play

Purse: $5,000,000; Winner’s Share: $900,000

This report provided to GolfWRX.com by Canada's Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)

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GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

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A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down. 

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

 

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

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With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

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From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

 

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.

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