Bob Hope Chrysler Classic round four: It's Rose versus Glover, but watch out for Rollins

They were like lemmings in their desperation to get on before the price went even lower. Down and down it went as the chaotic scramble gathered pace through evens and beyond. Even a bogey didn’t deter our intrepid punters. ‘Better value!’, they cried as the price momentarily turned up and they piled in with more wads of cash. Fortunately for them, this time Justin Rose stopped short of implosion, leaving them staring over the precipice, but still in one piece.

The herd mentality strikes again. Your man is five shots ahead of the pack with a round and a half to go and playing like a demon on a course where he has a compelling record. As one punter declared: “I can’t see him getting beat on these easy courses.”

You’d think they’d learn. Remember last year’s Funai Classic, that’s right, the one where I really lost my rag with Rose when he tossed away a four-stroke lead. Punters there chased his price down to 1.37 before it went pear-shaped. What a coincidence - 1.37 is precisely the price Rose bottomed out at Saturday before reality in the form of a hot Lucas Glover caught up with him. In all £125,000 (that’s a cool $247,000) is sitting at odds-on in the Betfair market alone waiting for Justin to win (he’s starting the day at a price of just under 3). Must be a few very nervous guys out there right now.

But at least they are still in the game. And this time Justin is still in the lead. If he can gather his wits about him he can do well on this course. His problem, of course, is that the momentum has gone, and going round with him today are two previous tour winners. Glover, who won a similar style tournament - the Funai - two years ago, has improved with each successive round and shot a 66 in the final round here last year. I quite fancy John Rollins, winner of the BC Open last year and to my mind boasting the best all-round stats of the three in this competition.

If these guys end up treading water there’s plenty with the potential to put in a big last-day charge, although I can’t see past the top five.

So over to you Justin. We know you have the skill. Now is your chance to prove you can go in for the kill. Even though I have layed you, I wish you the best of luck.