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« Chuck Gage, Bob Mullock, Dave Matthews Honoured | Home | Tee 2 Green with Barry Sharpe - - January 24/2010 »
Weir, Delaet: Keeping Pace At The Hope Classic
(January 23, 2010)
After playing 43 holes without a bogey at the Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, CA., Canadian Hall of Fame member Mike Weir made his first slip of the tournament --and the season, since this is his first TOUR event of the year-- at the par five seventh hole, but still managed to compile his third consecutive round of 5-under par 67, six strokes out of first place.
Former University of Washington Star Alex Prugh has yet to make a bogey after 54 holes and is alone in first place (64-66-65) at 21-under 195 with three rounds remaining in the PGA TOUR's lone five round celebrity event in the Palm Springs region.
Weir had three birdies on the front side and three more over the back nine playing at the SilverRock Resort course on a day when the sun shone for the first time in the week. Thursday's second round was canceled because of heavy rain that has deposited nearly as much water as the region normally receives in a year.
Prugh, the 2005 Pacific Coast Amateur and Washington State Amateur champion and former teammate of Abbotsford, B.C.'s James Lepp, earned his way into the big league by finishing 16th on the 2009 Nationwide Tour money list where won the Michael Hill New Zealand Open. This is his third start on the PGA TOUR. He made his first by qualifying for the 2007 U.S. Open (MC) and finished T72 at last week's Sony Open in Hawaii.
"I was almost bored with myself a little bit," Prugh told PGA TOUR.com. "It's not a bad thing. I was hitting the driver very well, and I kept on hitting fairway after fairway. ... Boring rounds are actually fine with me."
Prugh thinks the pro-am format keeps him away from any mental dangers that might otherwise arise from leading a TOUR event after three rounds. Perhaps helping amateurs with their game prevents him from over thinking his own.
"I'm just trying to entertain my amateur partners as well as I can, and hopefully they get their money's worth when they're out here."
Another rookie having a solid start to his new season is Canadian Graham Delaet of Saskatchewan (71-69-67) whose flawless round Saturday has moved him into a tie for 47th.
Vernon, B.C.'s Chris Baryla, who also earned his ticket onto the PGA TOUR from the Nationwide last season, is not enjoying his early start and at 5-over par 221 is near the back of the pack at 125.
The Hope Classic will conclude with its fifth round Monday.
Bob Hope Classic
1 Alex Prugh 64 66 65 -- 195
8 Mike Weir 67 67 67 -- 201
T47 Graham Delaet 71 69 67 -- 207
125 Chris Baryla 71 78 72 -- 221
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