Southern Farm Bureau Classic Round Three: History is against Trahan, but who's left to take over?

Remember Greensboro! It sounds like a rallying call from the American Civil War; in fact it’s the increasingly desperate cry of D J Trahan layers on the forums. It harks back to almost exactly a year ago when he shot a three over par 75 on the final day of the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro to plummet from joint leader to joint 13th.

Today things are a tad different. He is two strokes ahead of the pack - for the third day running! - and the lineup in question is hardly on a par with last year’s winner K J Choi or some of his challengers: Tim Clark, Jerry Kelly, Tim Herron, Carl Petterson and Sergio Garcia.

But the real point being made of course is that Trahan has the form of a “bottler". Trouble is, all too many of those around him share his weakness. How else to explain the fact that each of Trahan’s rounds this week have been three shots worse than the previous one, yet he has always ended up two shots clear? The only chink of light is that his third round was shaky, including a double bogey.

So another week like the last, where no one puts up a fight on day four? The remnants of the raggle-taggle army left to hunt Trahan down hardly inspire confidence, so I am going to have to be pragmatic and start laying into whoever I can to spread liabilities.

At this point Brad Faxon must loom large, as he has been shakier than a salt cellar when confronted with the awesome possibility of victory. Daniel Chopra is another who tends to squander good positions.

I’ll keep Lee Janzen onside for now. At least he knows how to win, but the last time was the US Open in 1998 and this season he’s missed more cuts than he’s made, which speaks volumes for the poverty of this field.

A lot of hopes are riding with Chris Riley, fifth in the Texas Open, but he has never shot better that 3 under here so Trahan would also have to fall off his perch. Same goes for the host of other hopefuls a shot further back.

Here’s hoping the force goes with someone who needs the money even more than Trahan. Two wire-to-wire wins on the same weekend? That’s just too much.

PS: I hope my comments about Steven Bowditch yesterday didn’t put the evil eye on him. From hero to zero with an eight over Saturday - only prevented from going into double figures by an eagle on the last! Shame.