Tournament ambassador Phil Mickelson leads a field of 156 players at this week’s CareerBuilder Challenge, as the PGA TOUR returns to the mainland after starting the 2018 portion of the schedule in Hawaii. Three courses will be used this week in La Quinta, California – the Stadium Course at PGA West, the Nicklaus Tournament Course and La Quinta Country Club. Players are paired for the first three rounds in twosomes, with their pro-am partners also joining the group. The cut in the 72-hole event will be made after Saturday’s third round. PGA TOUR LIVE makes its 2018 debut with coverage from 11 a.m to 7 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday. Click here to sign up. PGA TOUR Radio will have coverage all four days, as will Golf Channel. Here’s a look at this week’s featured groups (current FedExCup ranking in parentheses). Tee times shown are for each group’s appearance on the Stadium Course at PGA West. Click here for full tee times. Hunter Mahan (92), Ryan Palmer (202): Mahan made five starts in the fall and is making his first start of 2018; he’s showing signs of a resurgence after a couple of frustrating seasons. Palmer was a cumulative 84 under at this tournament during a four-year stretch prior to missing the cut a year ago. Stadium Course tee time: Thursday, Rd. 1, 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. local) Patton Kizzire (1), Bill Haas (130): After moving into the FedExCup lead with his win at last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, Kizzire stated: “Our ultimate goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the year. We’ve got a long way to go.� If he wants to know what it takes to win the FedExCup, he can pick the brain of Haas, who won the title in 2011. Stadium Course tee time: Thursday, Rd. 1, 1:10 p.m. ET (10:10 a.m. local) John Daly (210), Mike Weir (N/A): Weir won here in 2003 and is making his 16th career start in this event. Daly, now a member of PGA TOUR Champions, is making his 13th start; his best finish is a tie for seventh 21 years ago. The last time these two were paired at a PGA TOUR event was the 2006 Buick Open. Stadium Course tee time: Friday, Rd. 2, 1:10 p.m. ET (10:10 a.m. local) Patrick Reed (108), Brandt Snedeker (162): Reed won this event in 2014, making a tournament-72-hole record 32 birdies. Snedeker has two top-10 finishes here in seven starts, but is making his first appearance here in three years. Besides Haas, Snedeker (2012) is the other past FedExCup champ in the field. Stadium Course tee time: Friday, Rd. 2, 1:20 p.m. ET (10:20 a.m. local) Jon Rahm (20), Bubba Watson (184): Rahm followed a win on the European Tour with a runner-up finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He’s making his second start here. Watson has five previous starts, including a tie for second in 2010, but hasn’t played here the previous six years. Stadium Course tee time: Saturday, Rd. 3, 12:50 p.m. ET (9:50 a.m. local) Zach Johnson (34), Phil Mickelson (37): Mickelson returns for his second year as tournament ambassador; in his 14 career starts here, he’s won twice (2002, 2004). Johnson has missed the cut here the previous three years. This will be the 12th event in their lengthy PGA TOUR careers that they’ve been paired together in at least one round of a stroke-play event. Stadium Course tee time: Saturday, Rd. 3, 1:20 p.m. ET (10:20 a.m. local) Peter Uihlein (51), Sam Saunders (149): Saunders’ grandfather Arnold Palmer won the inaugural event here in 1960 – and then made it his last PGA TOUR win in 1973. Palmer won this event five times; Saunders and Uihlein have yet to win on the PGA TOUR but would each love to break through in the desert. Stadium Course tee time: Saturday, Rd. 3, 1:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. local)
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