Bob Hope Chrysler Classic round three: Kenny Perry is lurking with intent

The really surprising thing about Boo Weekley’s 10 under on Friday was that it was one of only two rounds to go that low. With no wind to speak of these courses are particularly defenceless. Leader Robert Gamez for one was surprised so few managed to make a big impression. Birdies, he said, “were out there for the taking.”

Saturday provides a perfect opportunity for the players to redeem themselves as the weather watchword is “calm". It should certainly be just the job for Justin Leonard to lay his Classic course “bogey” - 71-72-74 since the course came into the rotation two years back. The 74 admittedly was in the wind-blown horror that was last year’s final day, so it’s not as bad as it seems.

Leaders Gamez, Leonard and D J Trahan are all posting solid figures for putting and greens in regulation, although their Friday stats were surprisingly the poorest of the week so far. Hard as it is to follow a really low round with another, Weekley is an obvious threat despite his problem with nosebleeds every time he gets up in the morning (the dry desert air apparently).

But another player lurking near the top with an excellent set of figures is Kenny Perry. He’s currently top 10 for everything except greens in regulation, where he is 11th. The PGA West course should hold few fears for him and he has already shown, with a 66 on Wednesday, that he can handle the Classic.

History tells us that, especially with these benign conditions, you can still look down as far as those on 10 under for an eventual winner. I’ll just be happy when all this pro-am malarkey is out of the way. Hasn’t been the most riveting stuff for me.

PS: So now we have another casualty of the Great American Noose Saga, as the editor of Golfweek magazine is put to the sword (or was it a 9-iron?) for putting a picture of a noose on his front cover. The way this contagion is spreading, we’ll have Dubya out of the White House within a fortnight. I am intrigued that PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem appears to think it is the duty of the golfing press to do its utmost to sweep awkward issues under the carpet as quickly as possible. I am equally intrigued that not a few owners of august American publications appear to agree.