Fourth-round notebook – Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
* Bubba Watson, who shot a 9-under 63 at Bermuda Dunes Saturday, has had a bit of an up-and-down week. The big-hitting lefty opened with a 10-under 62 at Palmer Private but then struggled with a bogey and a triple on the first eight holes of round two at Nicklaus Private. Since then, Watson has rebounded and played the last 46 holes in 20-under par. He is now minus-26 and tied for third place.* Steve Stricker has taken over for Pat Perez to help re-write the PGA Tour record book. Stricker has posted rounds of 65-67-61-62 and stands at 33-under 255 for the first 72 holes. He holds a three-stroke lead over 18-, 36- and 54-hole leader Pat Perez (258). Robert Garrigus (66/Bermuda Dunes), Bubba Watson (63/Bermuda Dunes) and Vaughn Taylor (68/Nicklaus Private) share third place at 26-under, seven shots back.
* The PGA Tour and Bob Hope Classic scoring record is 36-under par 324, set by Joe Durant in winning the 2001 Tournament.
* Steve Stricker’s 123 total over his last two rounds (61-62) eclipses the Tour’s all-time record for consecutive rounds. Mark Calcavecchia set the mark of 124 at the 2001 Phoenix Open and Pat Perez tied the mark earlier this week.
123 61-62 Steve Stricker 2009 Bob Hope Classic rounds 3-4
124 60-64 Mark Calcavecchia 2001 Phoenix Open rounds 2-3
124 61-63 Pat Perez 2009 Bob Hope Classic rounds 1-2
* Not surprising is the fact that the Tournament leaders are also leading the Tournament in putting. Steve Stricker is No. 1 in total putts with 102, Pat Perez is No. 2 with 104.
* Steve Stricker’s 255 total for 72 holes is one shot off the Tour’s all-time record score for 72 holes:
254 26-under Tommy Armour III 2003 Valero Texas Open
255 33-under Steve Stricker 2009 Bob Hope Classic
256 28-under Mark Calcavecchia 2001 Phoenix Open
* Steve Stricker’s blistering third and fourth rounds have helped him eclipse another PGA Tour record – that for the most strokes under par through 72 holes. Interestingly, Pat Perez registered his second straight round of 67 earlier in the day to reach 30-under par through 72 holes, thus becoming only the second player in Tour history to reach 30-under for four rounds. About an hour later, Stricker went racing by with birdies on six of his final seven holes, including his final four to establish a new mark:
Most strokes under par for 72 holes: ** -- through first four rounds of 90-hole Tournament
33 Steve Stricker** 2009 Bob Hope Classic (??)
31 Ernie Els 2003 Mercedes Championship (won)
30 Pat Perez** 2009 Bob Hope Classic (??)
29 Joe Durant** 2001 Bob Hope Classic (won)
Tim Herron** 2003 Bob Hope Classic (won)
28 John Huston 1988 United Airlines Hawaiian Open (won)
Mark Calcavecchia 2001 Phoenix Open (won)
Stuart Appleby** 2003 Las Vegas Invitational (won)
Phil Mickelson 2006 BellSouth Classic (won)
* Steve Stricker and Pat Perez have been breaking records all week and they can add another one to the list, the 72-hole record for the Bob Hope Classic. Perez set the mark earlier in the day, only to be topped by Stricker later on:
255 33-under Steve Stricker, 2009 currently leads by 3
258 30-under Pat Perez, 2009 currently trails by 3
259 29-under Joe Durant, 2001 led by 5 shot 65 1st – won by 4
259 29-under Tim Herron, 2003 led by 4 shot 75 T3
* Veteran Steve Stricker is in a bit of unchartered territory this week. Stricker is making the 339th start of his PGA Tour career and the 41-year old has put together a career-best score to this point. Stricker currently stands at 33-under par through 72 holes. Below is a list of his previous best 72-hole totals in relation to par:
33-under 2009 Bob Hope Classic
21-under 2002 Bob Hope Classic – shot 75 in final round to finish at 18-under
18-under 2008 Mercedes-Benz Championship
18-under 2007 BMW Champiionship
18-under 2005 Chrysler Classic of Tucson
18-under 1998 United Airlines Hawaiian Open
18-under 1998 Greater Milwaukee Open
18-under 1996 Motorola Western Open
18-under 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open
* Steve Stricker has posted a 255 total for the opening 72 holes. Below is a list of his previous best 72-hole scores.
255 33-under 2009 Bob Hope Classic
266 18-under 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open
266 18-under 1998 Greater Milwaukee Open
266 18-under 2007 BMW Championship
267 21-under 2002 Bob Hope Classic
* Here are Steve Stricker’s Tournament statistics thus far through his record-setting pace.
Fairways Hit 44 of 55 80.0% T23
Greens in Regulation 61 of 72 84.7% T9
Putts 102 1st
Driving Distance 297.3 37
* Fred Couples (16-under 272) made the 72-hole cut, marking the 23rd time in 24 starts here that he has advanced to the fifth round. Couples’ total is now just one back of all-time Tournament leader Peter Jacobsen, who made 24 cuts in 27 starts from 1978-2005.
* The 72-hole cut came at 15-under 273, setting a record for the lowest cut in Tournament history. The previous low was 13-under 275, which was set in 2002 and matched again in 2003.
* Steve Stricker leads the Tournament with 34 birdies through 72 holes. Joe Durant (2001) and Phil Mickelson (2004) hold the Tournament record with 37 birdies for 90 holes.
* Scott Piercy (65-267) is at 21-under par and has managed to negotiate all four courses without making a single bogey. The 2008 Nationwide Tour grad is the only player in the field to go bogey-free for the first 72 holes.
* It probably hasn’t happened too many times that a player would shoot 61 or 62 and miss the cut but it happened Saturday. Jesper Parnevik posted 11-under 61 at Palmer Private and James Nitties fired a 10-under 62 at Nicklaus Private to each finish at 14-under 274 and miss the 72-hole cut by a single stroke. In addition, Jarrod Lyle also carded a 63 at Nicklaus Private to wind up 14-under, one shy of the cut line.
* Pat Perez heads a list of hopefuls still in search of their first career win. Below is a list of the current leaders who have never won and their total career starts (prior to this week) on the PGA Tour:
Pat Perez 197 starts
Robert Garrigus 87
John Merrick 59
Bubba Watson 85
Chris Stroud 56
Webb Simpson 8
David Berganio, Jr. 137
Tim Clark 173
Mathew Goggin 198
* Several players at the top of the leaderboard are seeking their first career win. In the 49-year history of this Tournament, four players have earned their first title at the Bob Hope Classic:
1978 Bill Rogers 1st of 6 68th career start
1980 Craig Stadler 1st of 13 106th career start
1986 Donnie Hammond 1st of 2 87th career start
2007 Charlie Hoffman 1st 41st career start
* A couple of rookies are making some noise this week. Webb Simspon, a 23-year old 2008 Wake Forest graduate who played on the Nationwide Tour last year and made it through the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, is at 24-under par and currently tied for seventh place. Simpson is making only the second start of the year – he finished T9 at last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, his first start as a Tour member. David Mathis, a 34-year old 2008 Nationwide Tour graduate, is at 22-under after four rounds and T17. Mathis finished T16 last week, the only cut he has made in six total starts on Tour.
* Comebacks are nothing new to this event with several recent winners coming from off the pace to earn the championship. Most recent come-from-behind winners in this event:
Year Winner After 72 Final day Result
2008 D.J. Trahan trailed by 4 shot 65 won by 3
2007 Charley Hoffman trailed by 4 shot 71 won playoff over John Rollins
2005 Justin Leonard trailed by 2 shot 67 won by 3
2003 Mike Weir trailed by 4 shot 67 won by 2
2002 Phil Mickelson trailed by 4 shot 64 won playoff over David Berganio, Jr.
2000 Jesper Parnevik trailed by 2 shot 65 won by 1
1999 David Duval trailed by 7 shot 59 won by 1
1998 Fred Couples trailed by 3 shot 66 won playoff over Bruce Lietzke
1997 John Cook trailed by 3 shot 63 won by 1
* Rich Beem bogeyed the 5th hole Saturday at Palmer Private, ending his bogey-free run in this event after 58 holes.
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