Chad Campbell will never be confused for a celebrity, but the easy-going golfer was thrust into the midst of three rock stars at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
It didn’t appear to affect his play as Campbell had the third-lowest round of the day, a six-under-par 66 that put him in the lead at 15-under 129 after the second round of the $5-million PGA event.
Pat Perez, who was the first-round leader, shot a one-over 73 and is at 11-under par, four strokes behind Campbell. John Senden, who is tied with Perez, had the best round of the day with a 63.
Campbell played at La Quinta Country Club, and had the added distraction of being in the celebrity rotation of the five-day tournament that features actors, musicians, athletes and amateurs.
Campbell was paired with rock stars Alice Cooper, Darius Rucker and Justin Timberlake.
”It was a great group,” Campbell said. ”They are all really good guys and I enjoyed it. We had a good time out there.”
Of the three, Campbell admitted to favouring Darius Rucker, lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish, but talking shop was not encouraged.
”They don’t want to talk much about their careers probably, and I don’t want to talk a whole bunch about golf,” Campbell said. ”We just kind of meet in the middle somewhere.”
There was certainly enough buzz going about Campbell. His two-day total is three shots off the PGA Tour record of 18-under, set by Joe Durant here in 2001.
La Quinta is the second-toughest golf course of the four used in the rotation, but being buffeted by the surrounding mountains, golfers were protected from the wind.
That was not the case at the Classic Club. The new course is built further away from the mountains, and the full force of the nearly 50kph winds was felt.
The average score at the Classic Club was 73,37, four strokes higher than the Arnold Palmer Course at PGA West.
Perez had the misfortune of having to play in the wind at the Classic Club and struggled most of the day. By the 11th hole he was four-over.
Campbell plays at PGA West on Friday and then comes to the Classic Club on Saturday. A cut will be established after the fourth round and then the remaining golfers will play the final round at the Classic Club.
”I’m one of the kinds of people that like the way we’ve had it for all these years,” said Olin Browne, who is tied for fourth at 10-under. ”I’m sure that the Classic Club will be a wonderful test of golf.” — Sapa-AFP