The Birth of the Bob Hope Desert Classic In 1959 it was apparent that the Thunderbird Invitational Pro Am in Rancho Mirage, CA was on its last legs. There were a number of reasons why the tournament was on life support. The purse was miniscule at $15,000, the members at the Thunderbird Country Club were tired of giving up their access to the course during tournament week, the course was designed for country club members, not touring PGA professionals and it was not an official PGA Tour event because it was a pro am (the same was true of the Crosby and the Sahara at the time).
How Bob Hope Saved The Desert Classic ⛳
How Bob Hope Saved The Desert Classic ⛳
How Bob Hope Saved The Desert Classic ⛳
The Birth of the Bob Hope Desert Classic In 1959 it was apparent that the Thunderbird Invitational Pro Am in Rancho Mirage, CA was on its last legs. There were a number of reasons why the tournament was on life support. The purse was miniscule at $15,000, the members at the Thunderbird Country Club were tired of giving up their access to the course during tournament week, the course was designed for country club members, not touring PGA professionals and it was not an official PGA Tour event because it was a pro am (the same was true of the Crosby and the Sahara at the time).