Bob Hope Chrysler Classic round two: Roses's numbers back up his tougher image

This is where the Hope Classic starts to do your head in. You’ve got over the shock of starting a day early, but now you have to resist the urge to think its the halfway stage and there’s just two rounds to go. Get back to normal Friday thinking fast!

So you can admire the great(ish) rounds that put Scott Verplank and Justin Rose atop the leaderboard - and then speculate wildly about who’s going to catch them up. Verplank, tied for second here last year, is not a favourite of many punters because he’s previously failed to nail things down on the final day.

Same kind of goes for Rose, although we are promised a new and bolder version this year and, so far, his numbers are backing that up. His 65 on the relatively tough La Quinta Thursday was five shots better than last year and three better than 2005. Can you believe holing out twice from the bunker, once for birdie, the other for eagle?

Verplank’s only possible advantage at this stage is that he has done his Classic course round, which Rose and third-placed Robert Allenby still face. Word is that the more exposed Classic will be harder to play with freshening winds.

But lower down a host of characters are getting in the groove. Previous results suggest anyone up to eight shots behind is still in with a good shout, which would include Phil Mickelson, although he’s clearly far from on top of his game - 113th for greens in regulation against second a year ago and he’s gone backwards for accuracy off the tee as well.

Others that catch the eye are Johnson Wagner, tipped as the rookie with the meanest game - he leads the field for reaching greens in regulation - Ted Purdy, who hammered the Classic course with a 65 Thursday, Kenny Perry, getting nicely into the swing with a five under Thursday, and John Senden, who hit a 64 on the Classic to sit five back. The only downer with him is that I believe no one who has shot 72 or worse in the first round has won here, so he could likely be cursing his woeful 73 on Wednesday.

In fact, looking back over results since 2000, 69 is the highest first round score of a winner. Hard luck, Lefty.

PS: Memo to all the world’s headline writers. That’s enough ‘Rose is blooming’ headlines: Ed