Humana Challenge Draws Nine of Top 30 Golfers, But None in Top 10

Nine of the top 30 players on the Official World Golf Ranking have committed to the Humana Challenge, tournament organizers announced this week, but none in the top 10.

The recent commitment of 11th-ranked Matt Kuchar, the highest-ranked player in the Humana Challenge field, joins FedExCup champion Billy Horschel and World Golf Hall of Fame member Phil Mickelson in the field, said spokesman Brian Robin.

The tournament, now in its 56th year and annually the PGA Tour’s first West Coast swing event of the year, will be held Jan. 22-25 at the Arnold Palmer Private Course and the Jack Nicklaus Private Course at PGA West and the La Quinta Country Club.

The sponsor exemptions announced today include two players who completed their college careers in 2014 -- Patrick Rodgers, who had a record-setting career at Stanford, and Brandon Hagy, a two-time All-American at California.

Rodgers finished in the top 10 in 25 of his 35 collegiate events, winning 11 times and establishing the lowest career scoring average (70.31),. breaking the record previously held by Tiger Woods, and lowest season scoring average (69.41 in 2013-14) in school history.

Rodgers won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation’s top NCAA Division I collegiate golfer and the Ben Hogan Award as the nation’s finest collegiate golfer in 2014.

Hagy, the Pacific-12 Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year, is expected to be a fan favorite because of his length off the tee, routinely driving the ball upward of 360 yards.

“This is one of the strongest fields the Humana Challenge has ever had, but what stands out about it most is the variety of talented golfers who make up the field,” said Humana Challenge Executive Director/CEO Bob Marra.

“We have bombers, we have sharp shooters, we have young guns and we have some of the most popular veterans. It is always fascinating to see this diverse style of players take on our great courses that are in pristine condition. And it will be fascinating to see what young players like Patrick and Brandon can do playing here for the first time.”

Under PGA Tour rules, the tournament sponsor may add eight players to the field who otherwise would not be included.

The presence of Horschel, 2010 Humana Challenge champion Bill Haas and Brandt Snedeker, gives the Humana Challenge three of the last four FedExCup champions, Robin said.

“I love playing the Humana event,” Horschel said.

“La Quinta is such a beautiful place and it’s a beautiful time of year to be out there. So when I get out there, it’s just a nice exciting feeling to be in such a cool area, with the mountains around and the golf courses always in perfect condition. I think that they have improved the (tournament) to something now that the guys love being a part of.”

Since 1960, Desert Classic Charities, the nonprofit organization that conducts the Humana Challenge, has donated more than $56 million to a range of Coachella Valley charitable organizations and Eisenhower Medical Center, Robin said. Last year, the Humana Challenge donated $800,000 to 39 local charities, he said.

Tickets are available at Lumpy’s in La Quinta, 46630 Washington St., and in Rancho Mirage, 72769 Dinah Shore Drive, and at the PGA Tour Superstore in Palm Desert, at 72280 Highway 111, Suite 110.

Several ticket specials are available for purchase at www.humanachallenge.com through Sunday.

— By City News Service.

(Image via Shutterstock)