Golf: Hopes are high for Texas Chad

America's Chad Campbell is on top at the Bob Hope Classic. Picture / Reuters

American Chad Campbell maintained his four-shot lead in the Bob Hope Classic third round yesterday, despite failing to birdie any of his last eight holes. In near-perfect conditions on the Palmer Course at PGA West, Campbell moved five strokes clear midway through his round before bogeying his penultimate hole for a four-under-par 68.

It left the 31-year-old Texan at 19-under 197 in the 90-hole PGA Tour event being played on four courses in rotation. The first four rounds end in a cut and the remaining golfers play a final round.

Fellow American Scott Verplank and Australia's John Senden were tied for second place, Verplank having birdied five of his last seven holes for a 65 at the Classic Club while Senden carded a 68.

"We got really lucky with the weather today as far as the rotation that I'm in is concerned, getting to play over here with really no wind," Verplank said after negotiating the toughest of the four par-72 layouts.

"I actually started off a little choppy," added the 41-year-old, who was one over for the day after five holes having teed off at the 10th. But I finally hit a close shot to about a foot on 15 and then kind of got it going. I made a nice birdie on 17 with a 12-foot putt and chipped to about two inches on 18.

"All of a sudden, I was a couple under par and started to feel a little bit better. I feel good about the way I'm scoring and I always enjoy coming out here. I've been playing in this golf tournament since '87."

World No 5 Phil Mickelson, winner of the Bob Hope Classic in 2002 and 2004, was a further two strokes back in a share of fourth after shooting a 68 at the Classic Club, the host course this week.

Best score of the day was a sparkling 63 at PGA West by Britain's Justin Rose. The 25-year-old Englishman made a stumbling start by bogeying his first hole, the par-four 10th, but never put a foot wrong after, finishing at 12 under.

"I didn't quite know how I got to eight under," said Rose, who birdied eight of his last 12 holes in near-perfect conditions in the Coachella Valley. "I took advantage of most of the par-fives, which you have to do here."

He birdied four of the five on the 6930-yard (6336.79m) layout, while his longest putt of the day was a 25-footer for birdie at his 16th hole, the par-four seventh.

- REUTERS