Northern Trust Open Underway

It’s that time of year again in the Palisades. Time for the best golfers in the world to show what they can do at the historic course off Capri Drive.

The Northern Trust Open tees off today and continues through Sunday at Riviera Country Club and Bubba Watson will try to hold off an elite field and become only the eighth player to defend his title in the 89-year history of the tournament.

First played in 1926 and  called the Los Angeles Open, this is the PGA Tour’s fourth-oldest event outside of the majors.

Riviera, which was given the monniker “Hogan’s Alley” after the legendary Ben Hogan won there three times in the 1940s, is hosting the event for the 53rd time (all but two times since 1973) and grounds crews worked for over a month preparing the greens and fairways for the wear and tear of a week’s worth of championship-level play.

This year’s purse is $6.7 million, with the winner pocketing $1.206 million and 500 FedExCup points.

This year there will be no parking available at the VA Hospital. Today and tomorrow, parking will be available in Lot 3 at Will Rogers State Beach (enter at intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Temescal Canyon Road.

On Saturday and Sunday parking will be available at The Water Garden (1620 26th St.) between Olympic and Santa Monica  Boulevards in Santa Monica.

For tickets, call 844-868-7465.

2015 NORTHERN TRUST OPEN | RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB

Course Par: 71

Yardage: 7,349 yards

Purse: $6.7 Million

Winner: $1.2 Million

FedExCup Pts: 500

Twitter: @NTrustOpen

2014 Winner | Bubba Watson

2015 Field: 144 players

1. Par 5, 503 yards

2. Par 4, 471 yards

3. Par 4, 434 yards

4. Par 3, 236 yards

5. Par 4, 434 yards

6. Par 3, 199 yards

7. Par 4, 408 yards

8. Par 4, 460 yards

9. Par 4, 458 yards

10. Par 4, 315 yards

11. Par 5, 583 yards

12. Par 4, 479 yards

13. Par 4, 459 yards

14. Par 3, 192 yards

15. Par 4, 487 yards

16. Par 3, 166 yards

17. Par 5, 590 yards

18. Par 4, 475 yards