ARNIE'S ARMY INVADES HOPE.

Byline: Associated Press 

A year ago, Arnold Palmer had to pass up the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic because he had just been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The fear among Arnie's Army was that it would never see him compete again.

His fans should have known better. Palmer is a competitor.

Less than three months after surgery, Palmer played his first tournament - the Bay Hill Invitational on his own course in Orlando, Fla. - and before the year was out he had also played the Masters and 13 senior tour events.

This year, Palmer is back in the field at the Hope, a tournament he has won five times, including his last victory on the PGA Tour exactly 25 years ago.

Part of what makes Palmer special is that he loves golf and loves competing so much he never quits grinding.

``I'm not sure that I'm in a groove yet,'' Palmer, 68, said by telephone Tuesday from Indian Wells. ``I feel like in terms of making shots I can do that. But sustaining a good round of golf, I have not been able to put it all together yet.''

The five-round Hope tournament starts today at Bermuda Dunes Country Club with a field that includes defending champion John Cook, Mark O'Meara, who finished strong to tie for second with Tiger Woods at the Mercedes Championships last week, John Daly, David Duval and Jim Furyk.

Also in the field is Fuzzy Zoeller, who signed a clothing-endorsement deal with Sport-Haley last week and could announce a contract with a club company as early as this week.

Among the celebrities in the pro-am portion of the Bob Hope are actors Richard Dreyfuss and Samuel L. Jackson, singers Alice Cooper and Amy Grant, boxer Oscar De La Hoya and former President Gerald Ford.

The purse is $2.3 million, with $414,000 going to the winner.