Double P :: The Official Blog

LA QUINTA -- Traditionally, it rains birdies and eagles at the Bob Hope Classic. This week, players and tournament officials are worried about the more traditional rain.

"It looks like the weather will put a damper on things," said Hope defending champion Pat Perez on a rainy afternoon at PGA West. "It won't be exactly like last year, but we'll just make the best of it."

The $5 million Hope is scheduled to begin today under a forecast of relatively sunny skies in the morning and the chance of rain later in the afternoon. Perez will lead a field of 128 pros and 384 amateurs into the 51st Hope at four La Quinta courses.

Play will begin on golf courses that have been hit by rain both Monday and Tuesday. And forecasts are for stronger rains Thursday, bringing up the possibility that the Hope might lose a day to weather for the first time since 1980.

"The grounds crew and everyone is great so they will do their best," said Perez, who practiced at La Quinta Country Club on Tuesday and said there were areas of standing water on the course. "The greens are in phenomenal shape. That's not going to be a problem. It will just be a matter of standing water in the fairway."

The five-day, four-course tournament must complete 72 holes -- each pro playing each of the four courses once -- to be an official tournament. But the Hope has played 90 holes each of its first 50 years, including two Monday finishes in 1978 and 1980. Tournament director Michael Milthorpe said Tuesday that the decision has already been made that the event will stretch to Monday if needed to have a 90-hole tournament.

Today, the tournament will begin as usual, with the more than 30 celebrities in the field teeing off with pros at SilverRock Resort. Play also will begin at La Quinta Country Club and the Nicklaus Private and Palmer Private courses at PGA West.

For Perez, it's a chance for his first defense of a tour event, since last year's three-shot victory in the tournament was his first tour title.

"Obviously, it was very special. No matter where you win your first, it's going to be really special," Perez said. "Here it was special, really special for me because I grew up in San Diego and it's basically halfway between here. Here is halfway between San Diego and where I live (in Phoenix). So I had a lot of friends, a lot of family, plus I've been on this (PGA West) course so many times."

Perez blitzed the two PGA West courses last year to start the tournament with 61 and 63 to reach 20 under through 36 holes. But Perez will open his tournament this year with rounds at SilverRock and La Quinta, changing the way he looks at the start of the event.

"(La Quinta) is definitely the hardest one, I think, of the four. You've got to really hit it good. To make birdies on the par-5s you've got to hit the fairway, I think. You've got to drive it well there," Perez said. "The par-3s are a little longer. If I remember right, they put the pins in some challenging spots.

"I told my caddie if I can get to 10 under for the first two days being at La Quinta and SilverRock, I think that will be a good start," he added.

Joining Perez in the field is a list of 10 past major championship winners, including past Hope winners such as Mike Weir and Justin Leonard.

Perez said he still doesn't feel much different this year as the defending champion as he did last year.

"I've only been here a day now," said Perez, who played the tour's first two events in Hawaii. "So I got in (Monday) and coming from Hawaii and really with four courses and everybody kind of everywhere, it doesn't feel any different because not everyone is in one spot," Perez said. "So there's not a lot of focus on me, really."

Perez added he's trying to have no added expectations for the week about becoming the first player since Johnny Miller in 1975 and 1976 to win consecutive Hope titles.

"The conditions are going to be different. We've got a new course in play (from the 2009 rotation)," Perez said. "It just feels different all together. I don't really feel any added pressure. I don't feel really anything."

Now Perez can concentrate on golf, and figuring out how many rounds golfers might play this week.

"Who knows? I don't even know if we're going to be able to get it in or not anyway," Perez said.