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John Foster:

"My name is John Foster. I'm president of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, and we're here to announce three very exciting starts to the 2007 tournament. The first one, PGA TOUR-wise, the FedExCup will start here in 2007. We'll be the first mainland event for that, and we're excited to be a part of that. Number two is our new television partner is The Golf Channel. We are excited to be with The Golf Channel. I think, as you'll see into the future, The Golf Channel is going to take a great, a large position in the future of golf. And number three is something that we're quite excited about, and we'd like to kind of unveil here a host.

"And our host for 2007 and hopefully beyond is going to be Mr. George Lopez.

"George is going to host the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, and I have to tell you, we were very impressed. We talked with George, and one of the things you understand after a few years of George participating in our tournament is that his love of golf is immense. He's a wonderful golfer, plays it every time he gets a chance, and I think that became probably the premier focus for us because to be a host of a tournament, and we have in Bob Hope, we have one of the greatest, if not the greatest host, is still our namesake, but we want George to take off and run with the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. His comedic abilities help and bring the same focus that Bob's did. It brings energy to the tournament. It brings energy to the charities that we're going to be working toward.

"I've got one little story to share with you. Ernie Dunlevie and I went up and visited Dolores Hope. Ernie is the founding director and will be up here in a second with Steve Morton, another executive. But Ernie and I went up and sat down with Dolores because we wanted to talk to her about this hosting, and we thought George would really help the tournament going forward. Since Bob's passing, and even in his waning years, Bob's energy hasn't been there. We've needed some more energy, and I think that George was the man. So Ernie and I went up and talked to Dolores and what we were really excited about, she knows George's work very well. She knows George is one of the best comedic talents on the planet at this point. We had a great conversation about that. She's obviously very happy for George, and I think you'll find George's connection to Bob and Dolores will be long term.

"So, with that, I would like to let George know that we have a little work for him to do also besides hosting. He's got to take out a certain section of his life for the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, whether it's promoting or actually playing and just thinking about it, helping us with celebrities, reinvigorating the tournament with his celebrity presence.

"So, with that, I would like George to come on out here. I would also like Ernie Dunlevie, our founding director, and Steve Morton, from our executive committee, to come up here. You'll notice George is kind of getting in a uniform. We wanted to get him to understand he's a little bit more conservatively dressed than normal maybe, but we're very proud to have him as a director of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

"(To George, who has put on a Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Hosted by George Lopez blazer): You look pretty good in that.

"We've noticed that Chrysler is going to be associated with your television show and, in the show, they drive a Chrysler around. And well, we thought that the real family of George Lopez should also drive around in a Chrysler. So we've got a special Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Chrysler for him and his family, this complements of Chrysler. They send their best. I think that's one of the things we want to bring up. Chrysler has been a great

partner of ours. I think we're the longest going sponsorship in sports. Since 1965, Chrysler has been involved with our tournament, starting with Bob Hope, and as we continue on, they're a big part of our tournament, and they certainly want you to have a Chrysler and be part of that Chrysler family.

"George, I'd like for you to have a few words:"

George Lopez:

"Thank you, John. I promise Chrysler to not ever sell it for parts. It's nice, but sometimes they're worth more in parts. I can't wait to drive the car. I love Chrysler, and I love the tournament. I've been playing in it for three years, and it's been a highlight for me every year. The people are great. The city is great. I can't wait to get back out there as the new host of the tournament. I've got to thank these guys; the board of directors of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic has been fantastic to me from the beginning. It's very exciting where I think we can take this.

"I'd like to thank Dolores Hope, first and foremost, for anointing me the duty of following in her legendary husband's footsteps. It's something that I will always cherish and treat with the respect that it deserves.

"And also, I've got to thank the PGA TOUR for occupying the rest of my life when I'm not at the show. It is with their blessing and the blessing of the players that you're able to slide into something like this, knowing that you have the support of the guys who make their living playing golf. I've been respectful of the job that they have to do, and I look forward to bringing a fresher, newer face. The guys will still be there. Bob had legendary celebrities. He had Sinatra, and he had the presidents play together, and Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. And I intend to bring my guys: Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Kevin Costner; I'm putting out the invitation for Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas. And one Latino's not enough, so I'll bring Cheech with me.

"It really is an honor to do it. I love golf, and I've been playing since 1981, and golf has been the father I never had. It's been a friend I can always count on. When I couldn't afford to play golf, I would hit lemons in my backyard. I love the game. I respect the game. And I'm glad that you all came out today to support me in this decision. I'm just really thrilled, not only does this jacket fit, it's a 42, but that I will be able to promote the tournament and keep Bob Hope's name alive."

Have you met Dolores Hope?

"I met Dolores the first year that I was at the tournament. She was very sweet to me. She said she couldn't wait to meet me. We both live in Toluca Lake, so we have that whole kind of neighborhood thing going on. I drive by her house all the time, and I know that Latinos take good care of that house. So I'm proud in that regard also."

What was your relationship like with Bob?

"I was fortunate enough, through my wife, to have opened for Bob Hope in 1991 at the Walnut Creek performing arts center. And it was fantastic because he was brilliant in his stand-up, but one of the things that I always remember is that the crowd was a little tough. Bob and I rode back in the limousine together, and he was on one side, and I was on the other. He hit the dome light, and the light comes down and lights his face, and you see his nose, and he looks at me, and he says, 'Hey, George, what'd you think of that crowd tonight?' And I said, 'Well, I thought they were a little slow, and I thought once you got them, they were with you.' And he said, 'That's what I thought.' And he turned off the light, and I thought this guy's been everywhere in the world, he's performed for everyone, and he still cares about that show, that night. And it's something that I've always carried with me that no matter how hard you work, you still need to work harder."

Whom would you like to golf with that you haven't yet?

"My wife. No. No, that ain't going to happen. I've played with some really great golfers. Jesper Parnevik was my partner at the AT&T; we came in third in 2004. I've played with Mike Weir. I played with the Bob Hope champion this year, Chad Campbell; Justin Leonard and (Jason) Gore and Vijay Singh. I'd love to play a round with Tiger. I'd love to play with Tiger, or play a practice round with Phil Mickelson or Vijay Singh. The players are great. The season is really starting at the Bob Hope, and I just want them to know that before it gets really hectic that this is a week they can kind of relax and be taken care of and just enjoy the energy of the people and just have fun playing golf, because it is still just a game, you know."

Where do you play locally, and what's your handicap?

"I'm a member at Lakeside, which is also a club that Bob Hope was a member at, and his locker is still there intact. So I play at Lakeside. Also, I have a home up in Pebble Beach, and I love to play Pebble Beach. But there's a course in Pacoima called Hansen Dam that I also love to play because you can play in jeans and a T-shirt, and it reminds of why I started playing golf."

"And my handicap is trying to master a white man's game. No, it's about a 14, but some people don't believe that."

What is funny about golf?

"I think what's funny about golf is seeing someone who is at the height of their professional career. It may even be an actor, a singer or a performer, and have them look like they just found that club and have never held it before. So the vulnerability that it gives you when you try to be cool, but you've put three in the water on 10 at PGA West, is really what's funny. And the fact that if you take it too serious, that's funny, too. But if you have a good time with it, that's the ultimate humor in it."

Why take the step from player to host?

"I decided once it was presented that the tournament has been fantastic since 1960. When Bob was alive, the tournament was in fantastic, fantastic shape. It generated millions and millions of dollars for charities in the desert. With Bob not being around, it needed a go-to guy and a voice that would carry on all of the hard work that's been done by all the people who have worked on the tournament. I think that in my three years as a player in the tournament, I think that I've had an incredible response from the people who come to the tournament and from everybody who loves golf. I think that the way that it was presented was, I thought it was a great opportunity to not only keep golf and celebrity tournaments alive, but it does have a place, and I think that it's a marriage that's been going on for years, and I think it's a marriage that should continue. There's a lot of marriages that shouldn't continue - Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston - this is one that should stay alive."

Do you think your hosting duties will interfere with your game?

"I find that a Silver Patron margarita can interfere with my game. I expect to be very busy that week from this day forward in promoting the tournament and making sure that tickets are bought, that parties are going on in the backyard, that grills are fired up, that the players are happy, that the players exchange with the people who are there. If you can kind of create this childhood existence within the four courses, that's why everybody started playing golf, for the fun of it. People love the connection with the players and also with the celebrities. I'll know my job has been done well when you see fairways lined with people, and when you see people with homes there taking the time to have parties."

What do you look forward to the most about hosting the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic?

"What I look forward to the most is what clothes I'll wear, for one. I'm not shy with the colors. What I look forward to is kind of feeling like you're a player. You'll never get a chance to be a Laker. You'll never get a chance to be a New York Yankee, but for that week, if you're a player in the tournament - for the amateurs as well as the celebrities - you get to feel what's it like to be a professional PGA TOUR player, without the talent."

Where did you acquire your love of golf, coming from a Latino background?

"That's a good question. How did I acquire this taste for golf? Usually, when a Latino has a club in their hand, we're going to get our hundred dollars back. I think that it taught a lot of the things that a father should have, or family members. It taught me patience. It taught me honesty. It taught me responsibility. I didn't have an actual person to teach me that. And that's why also I'm very involved in the First Tee, in getting kids to play golf. So I think I respect it for what it's taught me. It's like life. Sometimes the easier you try, the better things go."

At what age?

"I was probably 20 when I started. I haven't put a club down since I was 20. I've been around it since I was 11. Lee Trevino is really my favorite golfer of all time and a friend of mine. He and I will play together at the end of this month at the Champions event at Pebble Beach, the Wal-Mart First Tee. And he hasn't been to Pebble Beach since 1984. It's just that kind of feeling that I found a kindred spirit in Lee Trevino, an uncle that I never had, somebody that I can pick up the phone and can talk to anytime. That's really fantastic, and that wouldn't have happened without golf."

Do you have a favorite Bob Hope one-liner?

"There's a great clip of Bob Hope being introduced, and about eight people clapped, and Bob says, 'I bought more tickets than that.' That always makes me laugh."

What are some of your duties with the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic?

"John? I'm going to trim these trees as soon as...."

Foster:

"George does have a job. We haven't totally outlined it, but he's been more than eager. He's volunteered more than we think he needs or has to do. I think as we go through the year, he's going to see where he feels he can lend a hand, and we don't want to take all his time. We just appreciate what he is doing for us. I think it's a big job, just thinking about tournaments like this, and as it comes closer and closer, there's more excitement, more things that are going to happen, he's going to have people calling him, saying, 'Can you get me in the tournament?' There's lot of things that he's going to be involved with, and I think, from all our board, we want to thank George. We do appreciate what he's doing. Even if he doesn't know exactly what he's doing yet, we're going to appreciate it."

Lopez:

"For all the celebrities out there who want to play in the tournament, let me just say this, Erik Estrada is a no."