Couch hopes for stress-free Sunday after downtown drama

American Chris Couch, shock leader of the Zurich Classic in New Orleans with a round to go, was hoping for a far less stressful Sunday than his last one.

On arriving in the hurricane-hit city Couch drove downtown, had a few drinks, but got lost going back to his car. And then things got scary.

“I saw some girls, they looked normal and I thought I could get a ride from them,” the Florida golfer told the US Tour website, www.pgatour.com.

“I jumped in the car with them. I really didn’t like the situation and it kind of got weird.”

He asked to get out of the car and after being let out another car pulled up and a man yelled: “What are you doing in this neighbourhood?”

Couch admitted: “I was scared in the part of town I was in.”

He ran as fast as he could for 20 minutes and, having lost his mobile phone during the incident, headed into a tattoo parlour to call the police for help.

He declined to say what was weird about being in the car. “I was just uncomfortable – that’s as plain as I can tell you. I didn’t like the situation and I didn’t like where we were going.”

The Nationwide Tour graduate certainly liked where he was going with a Saturday 64, however.

Having survived the cut with nothing to spare at four under he charged all the way to 13 under with nine birdies and even with a bogey at the last he set a mark that none of the overnight leaders could match as winds gusted to 30mph.

Halfway leader Joe Durant had not even teed off when Couch finished and he shot a 73 to be joint second with Charles Howell one behind with 18 holes remaining.

Dubliner Pádraig Harrington was among the leaders when he went to the turn in a superb 32, but three late bogeys meant a 71 and seven under total, the same as first round leader Graeme McDowell (72).

England’s Ian Poulter, joint third after two rounds, battled away for a 72 that left him three back and joint sixth with Masters champion Phil Mickelson, who reverted to only one driver in his bag as he produced a 68. It kept alive his hopes of a third successive victory.

Justin Rose slumped from 33rd to 61st with a 75.