Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Mickelson, Two-Time Major Champion Zach Johnson, Headline Field for 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge

Tournament set for Jan. 18-24 at three La Quinta courses, and will feature the winners
of 14 majors championships

(LA QUINTA, Calif.) – A thrilling and accomplished field of PGA TOUR professionals awaits golf fans at the 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation. The PGA TOUR makes its first stop on the U.S. mainland in 2016 with a field boasting many of the world’s best golfers, such as 2002 and 2004 event champ and five-time major championship winner Phil Mickelson along with the winners of nine other majors and 10 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.

The CareerBuilder Challenge, now in its 57th year, returns to La Quinta Jan. 18-24 and is a 72-hole event featuring 156 professionals at the TPC Stadium Course at PGA WEST (host course), the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA WEST and longtime event mainstay La Quinta Country Club.

The CareerBuilder’s stellar field includes major championship winners in Mickelson (2004, 2006 and 2010 Masters, 2005 PGA Championship, 2013 British Open), Zach Johnson (2007 Masters, 2015 British Open), Angel Cabrera (2007 U.S. Open, 2009 Masters), Jason Dufner (2013 PGA Championship), Webb Simpson (2012 U.S. Open), Stewart Cink (2009 British Open), Justin Leonard (1997 British Open) and Mark Brooks (1996 PGA Championship). Former World No. 1 Luke Donald has also committed, as have past FedExCup champions Billy Horschel (2014) and Bill Haas (2011), the tournament’s defending champion.

Adding further to the competitive field is the list of players currently ranked among the world’s top 50: 2014 CareerBuilder Challenge winner Patrick Reed (10), Johnson (11), 2015 CareerBuilder Challenge runner-up Matt Kuchar (20), Kevin Na (23), Marc Leishman (27), Mickelson (36), Anirban Lahiri (41), Robert Streb (44), Haas (45), and Horschel (48).

The field also includes 12 past champions of the Coachella Valley’s PGA TOUR event and every one dating back to 2004: Haas (2015, 2010), Reed (2014), Brian Gay (2013), Mark Wilson (2012), Jhonattan Vegas (2011), Pat Perez (2009), D.J. Trahan (2008), Charley Hoffman (2007), Chad Campbell (2006), Leonard (2005), Mickelson (2004, 2002) and Brooks (1996).

“We’re very excited about the tremendous field we’ve assembled for the CareerBuilder Challenge,” tournament director Bill Tait said. “From the stars of the game like Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson to guys who are established veterans in Bill Haas, Matt Kuchar and Webb Simpson, fans will get to see some of the best players in the world up close. Patrick Reed really jumpstarted his career with his victory here in 2014, and Jason Dufner is just two years removed from a major championship victory. It should be a tremendous week of golf, and I’m looking forward to seeing who will hoist the Bob Hope Memorial Trophy on Sunday afternoon.”

Sponsor’s exemptions into the field include Ollie Schniederjans – the former No. 1-ranked amateur golfer in the world – as well as Hunter Stewart, Xander Schauffele, Brett Quigley, Aaron Baddeley, Scott Langley, Luke Guthrie and D.A. Points.

Some top young players to watch include Lahiri, Schniederjans, D.H. Lee, Tony Finau, Smylie Kaufman, Si Woo Kim, Abraham Ancer, Harold Varner III, Michael Kim and Derek Ernst. Idyllwild native Brendan Steele (Hemet High School/UC Riverside), Diamond Bar product Na and San Diego County product Jamie Lovemark (USC) are among the golfers with local connections.

The new CareerBuilder Challenge app is available for free on Apple and Android devices. Search “CareerBuilder Challenge” to download the app, which provides a wealth of event information.

Multiple CareerBuilder Challenge ticket options can be secured at www.careerbuilderchallenge.com. Some of the more popular option are daily grounds tickets (for tournament rounds Thursday-Sunday) for $40, a full week badge (Wednesday-Sunday) for $100, a senior daily ticket (valid for tournament rounds for ages 62 & over) for $35, and a veterans daily ticket for $25. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult (limit two children per ticketed adult).

For fans who seek an extra tournament experience, there’s Club 17 Presented by Hyundai, which can be purchased at www.careerbuilderchallenge.com. Weekend memberships (Saturday and Sunday only) are $240, and full week memberships (valid for all tournament rounds) are $300. Overlooking the TPC Stadium Course’s famous par-3 17th hole – nicknamed “Alcatraz” for its island green – Club 17 features a sports bar atmosphere inside and views of some of the most exciting golf in the tournament outside.

Since 1960, Desert Classic Charities, the non-profit entity that organizes the CareerBuilder Challenge, has donated more than $57 million to Eisenhower Medical Center and many other charitable organizations. In 2015, the CareerBuilder Challenge donated $925,000 to 39 Coachella Valley charities.

For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com and www.clintonfoundation.org. Get social on Facebook at Facebook.com/ClintonFoundation and on Twitter @ClintonFdn.

No comments: