Trailing Rose has work to do

Despite back-to-back rounds of 64 and 66 Justin Rose still had six strokes to make up on leader Chad Campbell going into the final round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in California.

In his second US Tour start of the season Rose stood alongside world number three Phil Mickelson on 18 under par after 72 of the 90 holes. But they were tied for fourth.

Campbell, runner-up to David Toms at the Sony Open in Hawaii last week, is one ahead of Scott Verplank and four clear of Australian John Senden.

Rose had a chance to be even closer, but from the rough put his second shot to the final hole of the Classic Club into the lake.

A 14-foot putt allowed him to escape with a par, however, and that followed three birdies in the previous five holes and five in a front-nine 32.

Campbell has led since early in the second round, but Verplank trimmed his advantage from four to one with a 64 at Bermuda Dunes, generally considered the easiest of the four courses used for the celebrity pro-am.

After charging further clear with five birdies in his first 10 holes at the Classic Club Campbell, seeking his first victory for 22 months, covered the last eight in level par to give the chasing bunch hope.

“I am a little unhappy with the way I finished, but overall happy with the round,” he said after his 67.

“A victory would be huge. It’s been a while. I think I have the ability to win and I feel ready to get another one.”

Round of the day came from Swede Jesper Parnevik. His 10-under-par 62 took him to 17 under and from 45th to sixth, while David Duval had a 64 and at eight under made his second successive cut – one more than in the whole of last year.

Verplank has not won since the 2001 Canadian Open and commented: “I’m not going to overpower this golf course or that one, but hopefully I can beat it to death with hitting it in the fairway and hitting it on the green and putting for birdie.

“I played two days in two months [over the winter]. I just figured my body needed a break.

“You go through the whole year and you get worn down mentally. My goal is to get recharged mentally and try to come out with some confidence in myself.”

Bernhard Langer is 12th after a 65 and Greg Owen 33rd following a 67, while Brian Davis’s 71 meant he survived the cut right on the limit of seven under.