Valencia Pinch Hits

Riviera Country Club members didn’t want to host two professional events this year, so they passed on the Nissan Open, formerly known as the L.A. Open. No problem. The Valencia Country Club grabbed the event, which starts Thursday. The last time the tournament was played north of the Santa Monica Mountains was in 1927, at the El Caballero Club in Tarzana.

Back to Back: Corey Pavin (above), from Oxnard, who won back-to-back Nissan Open titles in 1994 and ‘95, is among five golfers who have won consecutive Open titles. The others are MacDonald Smith (1928-29), Ben Hogan (1947-48), Paul Harney (1964-65) and Arnold Palmer (1966-67).

Getting Green: The tournament purse is $2.1 million: $378,000 for first place, $226,800 for second and $142,800 for third. By comparison, in 1940 the purse was $5,000, with $1,500 going to the winner. The total purse and winning share have more than doubled since 1990, from $1 million and $180,000, respectively.

Whens and Wheres: First tee times Thursday and Friday are 7 a.m. The final rounds start at 8 a.m. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster outlets ([213] 480-3232) or through the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce ([800] 752-6736). Prices are $20 per day, $60 for a tournament pass and $180 for a book of 12 daily passes.