Bill Clinton Stops By First Round At Humana Challenge

Former President Bill Clinton made an impromptu visit to the Humana Challenge golf tournament this morning, the tournament's first day of competitive play.

Clinton, who will play in the third round of the tournament Saturday, met people and posed for photos at PGA West in La Quinta. His personal memorabilia is on display at the tournament, according to the Humana Challenge's website.

Clinton will play in a foursome Saturday that includes Humana chairman and CEO Mike McCallister, World Golf Hall of Fame and former top-ranked player in the world Greg Norman and La Quinta resident and three-time PGA Tour winner Scott McCarron at the Palmer Private Course at PGA West.

The former president's Clinton Foundation hosted a health conference, "Health Matters: Activating Wellness in Every Generation," in Indian Wells Tuesday. Clinton played in the first round of the tournament, formerly known as the Bob Hope Classic, in 1995 with Hope and former presidents George H. W. Bush and Gerald Ford, tournament organizers said. Hope's daughter Linda and other dignitaries unveiled the Bob Hope Memorial Trophy today, which will be given to the tournament's winner Sunday.

The Humana Challenge teed off this morning, with a field including Phil Mickelson, eighth-world-ranked Dustin Johnson, 11th-world-ranked Matt Kuchar and 2011 FedExCup champion Bill Haas. The tournament's celebrity field includes singers Smokey Robinson, Alice Cooper and Michael Bolton; actors Morgan Freeman and Don Cheadle and basketball Hall of Fame member Julius Erving.

The tournament is being played at the La Quinta Country Club and the Palmer and Nicklaus Private Courses at PGA West, and airs live on Golf Channel noon to 3 p.m. today and Friday and 1-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.humanachallenge.com, by calling (888) 672-4673, and at Lumpy's in La Quinta and Rancho Mirage and Albertsons throughout the Coachella Valley.

-City News Service