This long standing event still holds onto its roots via the celebrities and athletes playing alongside the Tour pros, with the 2023 iteration marking a significant anniversary for the event and one of golf’s biggest names.

It was 50 years ago that Arnold Palmer claimed his last PGA Tour win at the 1973 Bob Hope Desert Classic, a tournament that ‘The King’ won five times over the course of his career.

Memories of Arnie and his final win sure to feature throughout the week when play is conducted across three courses before a cut is made and the PGA West’s Stadium Course hosts the final round on Sunday.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: It is a case of what will be a regular occurrence moving forward, with last year’s winner unable to defend his title on the PGA Tour even if he wanted to.

Now plying his trade with LIV Golf, and thus suspended by the US circuit, Hudson Swafford romped home with a Sunday 64 in 2022, including a back nine with just one par, to win The American Express for a second time.

Swafford’s 23-under-par total good for a two shot win over Tom Hoge.

COURSES: The nine course strong PGA West is once again the primary venue for The American Express this week, with La Quinta Country Club sharing the role of host over the opening three days of competition.

RIGHT: Hudson Swafford won't be back to defend the title he won in 2022, the second time he won The American Express. PHOTO: Sam Greenwood.

Into its 51st year as a PGA Tour venue, La Quinta opened for play in 1959 and was designed by brothers Frank and Lawrence Hughes, with the par-72 to measure 7,060 yards this week.

Typical of desert golf in America, the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West won’t get the course architecture fans into a tizzy this week, while the venue’s Stadium Course offers plenty of birdies and is another of Pete Dye’s designs to feature an island green 17th hole.

This par-3 penultimate hole is surrounded by rocks, unlike the bulkheads at Sawgrass, and plays longer than Dye’s most famous creation, while the water laden 18th hole inevitably provides some nervous moments for leaders and the chasing pack come Sunday.

PRIZEMONEY: US$8,000,000
 
RELATED: So-called expert golf tips for this week

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Want an example of a hot streak? That would be Jon Rahm of late.

The Spanish World No.4 hasn’t missed the top-10 since last season’s PGA Tour schedule came to a close and was a winner in his last start at Kapalua a fortnight ago, a victory that was his third in his last five starts.

Add that form into his 2018 win at this event and it is a fairly reasonable assumption that Rahm will find himself in the mix again this week in California.

Another former champion here with a recent trophy to his name in Hawaii is last week’s Sony Open winner Si Woo Kim.

The South Korean is far from a model of consistency, but he hasn’t looked back since switching to the long putter after some advice from Adam Scott, so he could keep it going here.

Patrick Cantlay is something of a specialist at the ‘Hope’ despite having never claimed the title.

The American leads the scoring average for this event, has three straight top-10s here, including a runner-up in 2021, and was the leader after 36 holes last year.

Ball striking and level headedness exemplify Cantlay’s game and those are needed across these three courses and when playing alongside amateurs during long tournament rounds.

With Rory McIlroy still resting, Scottie Scheffler will be hoping for a good week as he tries to get back to top spot on the world ranking list and this is the time of year where he got hot in 2022.

Gearing up to defend his Masters title in a couple of months, Scheffler looked solid in his return at the Tournament of Champions then took a week off so could feature this week.

Of the Aussies, Cam Davis looks the most likely to contend.

Finishing 32nd last week, the New South Welshman was extremely impressive on his way to winning the Sandbelt Invitational in late 2022 and although this type of golf owns little to no resemblance to that event’s hosts, Davis needs to find some similar form if he is to climb the rankings and earn a return to Augusta in April.

72-HOLE RECORD: 260 (-28, Patrick Reed, 2014)

PAST AUSSIE WINNERS: Bruce Devlin (1970)

AUSTRALIANS IN THE FIELD: Cam Davis, Jason Day and Harrison Endycott.

TV TIMES*
Round 1: Friday (Fox Sports 505 LIVE 7am – 11am)
Round 2: Saturday (Fox Sports 505 LIVE 7am – 11am)
Round 3: Sunday (Fox Sports 505 LIVE 7am – 11am)
Round 4: Monday (Fox Sports 505 LIVE 7am – 11am)
*AEDT, check local guides