/ 22 January 2006

Campbell’s lead dwindles at Bob Hope Classic

Chad Campbell fired his fourth straight round in the 60s on Saturday but saw his lead dwindle to one stroke over Scott Verplank with one round to play in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Campbell, who started the day with a four-shot cushion, carded a five-under-par 67 for a 24-under total of 264, with Verplank one back after a 64.

Campbell played the Classic Club, considered the toughest of the four courses in the tournament’s rotation, and even though he had only played one practice round at the new facility, managed to keep his lead.

He shot a 32 on the front nine and made his only mistake on the 11th hole, when he three-putted from 42 feet.

A six-foot birdie putt on the par-five 14th hole built the lead back up to four shots, but Verplank wasn’t done torching Bermuda Dunes.

Verplank began the day tied for second with Australian John Senden and immediately went to work on the easiest of the four courses in the tournament’s rotation. He shot a 31 on the front nine and followed it with a 33 coming in.

Looking for his first victory since the 2001 Canadian Open, Verplank nabbed a total of nine birdies, including one at the par-five 18th that erased a bogey at the par-three 17th, his only hiccup of the day. — Sapa-AFP