The annual birdie fest known as the Bob Hope Classic is always a fun way to start the season, and this year has been even more eventful than normal. Consider this after the first four rounds:
- Pat Perez fired a 61-63 start to tie the lowest 36 hole score ever
- Steve Stricker sat at 33 under headed into the final round - another record
- Stricker took something like 24 putts on Saturday while carding a 62
- The cut was MINUS 15!!!
Just when you thought a minus 40 was a certainty, things started to get wacky... the wind started blowing on Sunday, and the ghost of Bob Hope showed up to tweak a few noses. With the final group on 15, here is what we have seen today.
- Stricker now sits a 6 OVER for the day, courtesy of a triple bogey 7 at #7, and a set of dog balls at #10 (aka a "snowman").
- Perez is one under for the day, and shares the lead at minus 31.
- Co-Leader John Merrick yanked his tee shot at # 16, and it heads for the water hazard (or worse)...until a gentle breeze catches it, directing it toward the concrete bank of the ditch - which it caroms off of, and bounces into the MIDDLE of the fairway. Merrick then hits his approach on, and calmly two putts for a par.
I'm sure Bob,Dino, Bing, and the rest of the original Palm Springs royalty are looking down on this action smiling....
P.S. - Pat Perez sealed the deal with a killer approach on 18 and an eagle putt - Congrats Pat for your first PGA tour win !!
