Five Time Champion: Arnold Palmer
Two-time champions: Billy Casper, John Mahaffey, Johnny Miller, Corey Pavin, John Cook, Phil Mickelson (Johnny Miller is the only back-to-back winner.)
TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
2009 - 50th Pat Perez
BOB HOPE CLASSIC
SilverRock Resort, Bermuda Dunes Country Club, Nicklaus Private at PGA WEST and
Palmer Private at PGA WEST
All that changed on Sunday, however, when winds unexpectedly swirled out of the local mountains and gusts up to 40 mph played havoc with golf balls. The winds swept away the chances of 90-hole leader Stricker, but Perez was able to contain his emotions and his game to post a three-stroke victory, his first on the PGA TOUR.
Perez, no stranger to "going low at the Hope", was the first round leader with a 61 at the Palmer Private Course. Amazingly, that was only a single stroke better than two players and two ahead of six others.
When Perez followed the 61 with a 63 on the Nicklaus Private, he set a new tournament record for 36 holes at 20 under par, yet he still had a host of pursuers on his heels. A third round 65 at SilverRock Resort kept Perez in the lead but a new challenger emerged when Ryder Cup team member Steve Stricker scored a 61 of his own at the Palmer to pull within a pair of strokes of Perez.
Perez fired a 67 at Bermuda Dunes on Saturday to set a new 72-hole record, but late in the day Stricker zipped past him, posting a 62 on the Nicklaus course. Stricker not only obliterated the Classic's 72-hole record but set a new PGA TOUR record as well.
The begining playing conditions evaporated a little before noon on Sunday. While Perez hung tough, Stricker's game suffered. He triple-bogeyed the 7th hole, then disaster struck at the 10th: his first tee shot, played in a strong crosswind, went out of bounds, his second went into the lake and he wound up with a quadruple bogey eight, which effectively ended his chances.
The only challenger to Perez down the stretch was John Merrick, a young pro from Long Beach. He finished bogey-par but still only a stroke behind Perez, who finished off the win with a superb eagle on the 18th. His 33-under-par score gave him his first TOUR win in his 198th start.
The great scoring also extended to the amateur team play. The winning team was 71 under par for 72 holes, the lowest score in nearly 50 years. Plus a total of eight holes in one were made during the week, all of them at either the Palmer or Nicklaus courses at PGA West. Amateurs scoring aces were Andrew Goldfarb, Gary Levine, Miklos Kohary and Dick Ziegler plus celebrity Michael Pena. Pros scoring aces were Briny Baird, John Senden and John Mallinger, the latter during the final round.
No matter the windy weather on Sunday, the golf gods still smiled at the Bob Hope Classic, making this year's event one of the most exciting tournaments of the 50 Classics.
Top
2008 - 49th - D.J. Trahan
BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC
The Classic Club, La Quinta Country Club, SilverRock Resort, Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West
When the 49th annual Bob Hope Classic began, it was a wide open field looking to succeed Charley Hoffman as champion. However, the celebrity field for the annual "fun in the sun" tournament was especially deep.
Among the celebrities playing for the first time were actor Jimmy Fallon (soon to take over Conan O'Brien's late-night slot), "Burn Notice" star Jeffrey Donovan, sports casting legend Keith Jackson, singing great Meat Loaf, comedian Kevin Nealon, actor Chad Michael Murray, celebrity chef Ming Tsai and pro surfer Kelly Slater.
Also competing were Derek Anderson, Chris O'Donnell, Huey Lewis, Alice Cooper, Taylor Hicks, Thomas Gibson, Don Cheadle, Kenny G, Carson Daly, Anthony Anderson, Michael Bolton, Sterling Sharpe, Cheech Marin, Thomas Gibson and the beloved Yogi Berra. But when the dust cleared, the winning team was the 2008 tournament host George Lopez and actors Samuel L. Jackson and Luke Wilson. It was the first time the tournament host had ever been on the winning team.
When the professional teed off, few would have given D.J. Trahan much of a chance of winning the 2008 Bob Hope Classic entering Sunday's final round. After all, he was four shots behind former champion and proven winner Justin Leonard. Perhaps most important, Trahan was known as a mediocre putter, finishing 171st in Putts Per Round on TOUR in 2007.
Not only did Trahan win convincingly but he finished the tournament first in the field in the all-important Putting statistic, taking a mere 1.585 putts per Green in Regulation and 26 putts per round over the five days. Crediting a lesson from an amateur back home in Georgia, Trahan won the tournament by coming from behind over the last 10 holes, finishing with a seven-under-par 65 for the day.
The 2008 tournament began with a very crowded leader board, with Omar Uresti, Tim Petrovic, Mathew Goggin, Shigeki Maruyama and former champ Joe Durant leading seven players by a stroke after opening-round 65s.
Trahan made his first appearance at the top of the leader board after the second round, when he was the co-leader with Robert Gamez at 13 under par, both leading Leonard by a shot. Gamez took sole posession of the lead on Friday, finishing at 18 under par and one ahead of Leonard and Trahan and three shots ahead of Boo Weekley.
Leonard seemingly put the tournament out of reach with his 6-under-par 66 on Saturday. His total of 23 under par was four better than Trahan and Gamez, who were joined by Anthony Kim and former winner Kenny Perry in the runner-up spot.
After playing the front nine in a sparkling 33 strokes, Leonard's chances began to fall apart with bogeys at both 10 and 11. Still trailing by only a shot coming the 18th tee, he drive found the water, effectively ending his chances. Trahan, playing just ahead, had taken the lead with a birdie at 14, then birdied the last to cruise to his three-shot victory.
For his win, Trahan scored his biggest payday: $918,000; the keys to a 300C; and an invitation to play in his second Master's tournament.
For Trahan, it was his second TOUR victory and a title to be savored not only for its rewards but also for the redemption for his putting game.
Purse $5,100,000
Winner - D. J. Trahan - 334 - $918,000
Other Finishers:
337 - $550,800 Justin Leonard
338 - $295,800 Anthony Kim
338 - $295,800 Kenny Perry
2007 - 48th - Charlie Hoffman
BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC
Classic Club, Bermuda Dunes Country Club, La Quinta Country Club and
Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST
The most significant development of the 48th annual Bob Hope Classic was the debut of famed TV star George Lopez as the tournament host. The event had an energized feeling as Lopez brought new star quality, new celebrities and new ideas to the Bob Hope Classic for the first of what may be many years of hosting.
The 2007 tournament featured one of the best celebrity fields in the event's history. Appearing at this year's Bob Hope Classic for the first time were actors Ray Romano, of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and film star Andy Garcia. Musicians making their tournament debut were Huey Lewis, saxophonist Kenny G, and Taylor Hicks, the popular winner of the 2006 American Idol competition.
Jerome Bettis, former running back of the Pittsburgh Steelers, appeared for the first time, along with NASCAR driver Boris Said and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli. The irreverent late night host Jimmy Kimmell played on Saturday and brought along several of the most recent American Idol rejects to report his "play".
Among the great roster of celebrities playing in the 2007 event were boxing great Oscar de la Hoya, baseball icons Yogi Berra, and Roger Clemens, football stars Marcus Allen and Sterling Sharpe; hockey great Mike Eruzione; and Olympic skier Toby Dawson, whose team won the amateur competition in the event.
Legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood made a weekend appearance at the tournament. Playing for all four rounds were singers Michael Bolton and Alice Cooper; TV stars Carson Daly, Maury Povich and Joe Kernen; actors Samuel L. Jackson, Craig T. Nelson, Cheech Marin and Anthony Anderson; comedian Tom Dreesen and spacecraft designer Burt Rutan.
When tournament play began on Wednesday, the tone for the week was set by the day's weather: cold and windy. All of Southern California was battered by one of the coldest and windiest weeks in recent memory. Three mornings, play was delayed on all or some of the courses by frost with moderate winds in evidence all days until the blustery conditions that affected the final round.
The star of opening day was Australian Robert Allenby, who fired a nine-under-par 63 at La Quinta Country Club, only two shots off the course record. Allenby led after 18 holes by a pair of shots over Craig Kanada and Mark Calcavecchia.
Tuesday saw the emergence of British star Justin Rose who shot a 65 at La Quinta Country Club to share the 36-hole lead with Scott Verplank. Rose extended his lead in the third round with a 66 at the PGA West Arnold Palmer Private Course. He was two ahead of Verplank, followed by a gap of five shots to Lucas Glover and John Rollins.
Playing the host Classic Club on Saturday, Rose had his chance to put the tournament out of reach, but a two-under-par 70 brought a half dozen players back into contention. Lucas Glover shared the 72-hole lead with Rose, with Rollins another two strokes behind. Four off the lead were Jeff Quinney and San Diegan Charley Hoffman, playing in his first ever Bob Hope Classic.
The big story of Sunday was wind, which was 15 to 25 miles per hour with gusts of 40 mph. The wind turned the Classic Club into a monster. The final round scoring average of 74.763 was the highest in tournament history. Two-time champion Phil Mickelson shot 78; co-leader Glover had an 80, which dropped him into a tie for 13th; 2006 PGA TOUR tournament winner Dean Wilson suffered through an 84. Not a single player had a bogey-free round.
With three holes to play, Rose looked like the tournament was his. Steady play by Rollins on the back nine kept him either tied with Rose going to the last tee. Meanwhile , Hoffman, who looked to be totally out of a chance to win, birdied the 17th and had fired an incredible iron to about 12 feet on the last hole. When he sunk the putt for eagle, Hoffman had vaulted into the lead, meaning Rose and Rollins had to birdie the last to tie. Rollins was up to the challenge while Rose had difficulty from the tee, would eventually par the hole and settle for third place.
In the sudden death playoff, Hoffman again hit a phenomenal drive, was on the green in two and two-putted for an easy birdie. Rollins found sand off the tee, and when he failed to record a birdie, the previously unheralded Hoffman was the 2007 Bob Hope Classic champion. Hoffman became the first person to win the Bob Hope Classic on his initial try since Arnold Palmer in the very first Classic in 1960! Not bad company to keep.
Purse $5,000,000
Winner - Charley Hoffman - 343 - $900,000
(Won playoff against John Rollins)
Other Finishers:
343 - $540,000 John Rollins
344 - $340,000 Justin Rose
345 - $182,500 Heath Slocum, Jeff Quinney
2006 - 47th - Chad Cambell
BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC
Classic Club, Bermuda Dunes Country Club, La Quinta Country Club and
Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST
Chad Campbell was the winner on the golf course at the 2006 Bob Hope Classic. Perhaps the biggest news at this year's tournament, however, was the unveiling of the Classic Club, the only golf course which is owned by a PGA TOUR-sponsored event.
The course was initiated when Englishman Brian Davis struck the first competitive tee shot at the first hole. The course, which this year played to 7,305 yards, was designed to offer a sterner test for the world's best golfers and offers fans greatly improved viewing areas and more amenities than in previous tournaments. The results were almost universal praise for the Classic Club as a great test of golf and as a superior PGA TOUR venue.
From the very first day, the Classic Club registered a higher stroke average than the other three courses in play. The first round leader was Pat Perez, who shot the lowest first round in the history of the Bob Hope Classic with a 60 at the Arnold Palmer Course at PGA West.
Campbell, winner of the 2003 TOUR Championship, played in the celebrity field and fired the day's second lowest round, a 63 at Bermuda Dunes Country Club.
The tournament's second day had higher winds - and scores soaring to match. The Classic Club's scoring average was nearly two strokes over par that day. First round leader Pat Perez played the host course and struggled to a 73. Campbell, a Texan used to wind, was at La Quinta Country, where he shot a sparkling 66. From that point, he nearly dominated the tournament.
Campbell's third-round 68 at PGA West gave him a four-stroke edge over John Senden and Scott Verplank. Campbell played the tougher Classic Club on Saturday, where he shot one of the best rounds of the tournament, a fine 67. Verplank, however, scorched Bermuda Dunes Country with a 64, putting him only a single shot back of Campbell going into the final round. Saturday also saw former champion Jesper Parnevik set the course record at the Classic Club with a 62, which was the best round shot all week at the course by three shots.
The Classic Club played tough on Sunday and none of the golfers could make much of a move. Campbell looked to have the title locked up until he pulled his drive at the par-four 13th hole into the lake, but he made a miraculous bogey to keep his edge.
Down the stretch, no one could mount a serious charge. Parnevik had another superlative round - a 67 - but he had started too far back of the leader. He and Verplank shared second place, three strokes behind Campbell, who pocketed the $900,000 first place check and a 2006 300 SRT8.
Campbell's performance represented a great victory - but the unveiling of the Classic Club initiated the Bob Hope Classic into a new era of tournament competition with a goal of maximizing charitable contributions to the local community.
Purse $5,000,000
Other Finishers:
338 - $440,000 Jesper Parnevik, Scott Verplank
339 - $206,800 John Huston
337 - $182,500 Phil Mickelson, Mike Weir, John Senden
343 - $150,000 Olin Browne, Jeff Maggert
2005 - 46th - Justin Leonard
BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC
Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST
Bermuda Dunes, Tamarisk and La Quinta Country Clubs
Justin Leonard rose to the top of the field for a convincing come-from-behind victory.
On paper Justin Leonard didn't look like a good pick to win this year's Bob Hope Classic. He had switched to new clubs and had missed the cut in his one previous start of the year the week before the Hope. Leonard didn't take the lead until the final round, but he had a very solid tournament shooting five rounds in the 60s (and 64, 67 on the weekend).
For the first 72 holes, the 2005 Bob Hope Classic seemingly belonged to a non-winner on TOUR named Joe Ogilvie. Playing under near-perfect conditions, Ogilvie shared the first round lead at 64, then fired rounds of 63 and 64 to tie the tournament's 54 hole record at 23 under par. Even after "cooling down" with a 69 in the fourth round, Ogilvie still lead Peter Lonard of Australia by two shots and Leonard by three shots as they set off from the first tee at the Arnold Palmer Course of PGA West.
Two quick birdies by Leonard and two quick bogies by Ogilvie and the Texan had the lead. He made 6 birdies in the first 11 holes on a course that was made somewhat difficult by gusty wind, perfect for a golfer born in the windy plains of Dallas. Up by as many as five shots, Leonard parred the last seven holes, was never threatened and coasted to a three-shot victory.
South African Tim Clark tied Ogilvie for second while Loren Roberts and Lonard tied for fourth, another shot back.
For the victory, Leonard was presented the keys to a 2005 Chrysler Crossfire STR6 Roadster and the winner's check of $846,000. And for the next two and half months, visions of azaleas, pines and green jackets can swim through his dreams as he hopes to make the improbable of winning both the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and the Masters for the third year in a row an amazing reality.
Purse $4,700,000
Winner - Justin Leonard - 332 - $846,000
Other Finishers:
335 - $413,600, Tim Clark, Joe Ogilvie
336 - $206,800, Loren Roberts, Peter Lonard
337 - $163,325, Tim Herron, John Senden
338 - $131,600, Andrew Magee, Jerry Kelly, Jim Furyk, Ian Poulter
2004 - 45th - Phil Mickelson
BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC
Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST
Bermuda Dunes, Indian Wells and La Quinta Country Clubs
On Sunday Phil Mickelson was greeted by his wife and children after winning the 45th annual Bob Hope Classic for the second time in three years. Coupled with Mike Weir's victory in 2003, it marked the first time a PGA TOUR event had been won by a lefthander three years in a row.
Mickelson's victory was assuredly a hard fought one. A second round 63 at Indian Wells put him only a shot back of leader Kenny Perry, then a 64 at PGA West made Phil the third round leader by two shots. When he shot a 67 at Bermuda Dunes on Saturday, it left him tied for the lead with Kirk Triplett, with former Classic Champions Perry and Jay Haas one and two strokes back respectively.
Skip Kendall, looking for his first win on TOUR, was the only golfer who challenged Michelson on Sunday. Playing in the group ahead, Kendall grabbed a one-shot lead at the 16th hole, only to bogey the 17th to fall back into a tie at 29 under par. Kendall's birdie at the closing hole, the dramatic par five, meant Mickelson would have to birdie one of the last two holes to force a playoff.
Phil missed a five foot birdie putt at 17. His second shot on 18 fell just to the right of the green about 35 feet away. His pitch shot nearly found the cup and his tap-in sent him and Kendall back to the 18th tee for sudden death.
Both players found the fairway in the playoff, with Mickelson about 30 yards ahead of Kendall. Using a wood, Kendall pulled his second shot, barely clearing the lake in front and left of the green, his ball resting about 65 feet short. Mickelson landed his second shot to almost the identical spot where he'd just been in regulation play.
Kendall's pitch was short, stopping 15 feet away, while Mickelson nearly hit the stick again. After Kendall missed his putt, Mickelson stroked in the three-footer for birdie to the applause of the fans and family.
For the win he earned a check for $810,000 and received the new 2005 300C Hemi. Perhaps most importantly was his return to the top ranks of the golf game with his family there to watch.
Purse $4,500,000
Winner - Phil Mickelson - 330 - $810,000
(Won playoff against Skip Kendall)
Other Finishers:
330 - $486,000, Skip Kendall
331 - $306,000, Jay Haas
332 - $216,000, Johnathan Kaye
334 - $164,250, Ben Crane, Jesper Parnevik, Kenny Perry
335 - $139,500, Bernhard Langer
2003 - 44th - Mike Weir
BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC
Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST (host course) Bermuda Dunes Country Club,
Indian Wells Country Club, La Quinta Country Club
The champion's crown of the 2003 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic was captured by a leftanded golfer in exciting fashion for the second straight year. In this year's Classic, Canadian Mike Weir edged past Jay Haas on the final hole to win the $810,000 first prize check and a 2003 300M.
In many ways, the winning performances in both 2003 and the previous year were remarkably similar. The last two Classics were won by lefties (Phil Mickelson in 2002). Both players never were tied for the lead until the tournament's 89th hole. The deciding hole for each year's tournament was the 18th at the Arnold Palmer Course at PGA West. Both years, the winner laid up at the par five hole, while his right-handed rival went for the green in two - and found the lake short and left of the pin.
The first round of the 2003 Bob Hope Classic and the following three days of play were played in near-perfect conditions: warm temperatures and not a breath of wind. Players in the first round took advantage of the benign conditions, with Stephen Ames and Bob Tway firing nine under par 63s at PGA West to lead Chris DiMarco and John Cook by a shot. Jay Haas, the Classic champion in 1988, proved he could play with the "youngsters" on TOUR with a brilliant 61 at the Palmer Course in the second round. His score of 16 under par led Harrison Frazar by one stroke with Ames, 2001 champion Joe Durant and Pat Perez two back, the latter after firing a course record 61 at Bermuda Dunes. Tim Herron shot another 61, this one at PGA West, to join Ames as the third round co-leader at 22 under par, one shot ahead of Haas. Herron appeared to take command of the Classic with a fourth round 65 to open up a four-stroke lead over Haas and Weir.
Herron gave every appearance of a winner, especially since he made two eagles on the back nine of Sunday's final round. Unfortunately, he also made a quadruple bogey eight at the short 16th hole, leaving the door wide open for Haas and Weir, who had played the steadiest in the final round's gusty winds and tough pin positions.
Weir always trailed Haas until he rolled in a quick, downhill 20-footer on the par three 17th hole. Both players launched good drives down the last fairway. Weir's ball, however, ended up on a downhill slope, so he elected to lay the ball about 80 yards short of the green. Haas had a perfect lie and less than 200 yards to the pin. Unfortunately, his four-iron was struck slightly thin and the ball failed to carry the rocks fronting the green by inches. Weir wedged to three feet, sank the putt and claimed the Classic trophy by two strokes over the disappointed Haas, who at 49 was looking to become the oldest ever Classic champion.
Another performance of note was turned in by 48-year-old Peter Jacobsen, the 1990 Classic champion. In his 25th appearance at the Classic, Jacobsen made the cut for the 22nd time, surpassing the legendary Ray Floyd's 21 cuts.
Purse $4,500,000
Winner - Mike Weir - 330 - $810,000
(Won playoff against Jay Haas)
330 - Jay Haas - $486,000
334 - Chris DiMarco & Tim Herron - $261,000
336 - David Gossett - $180,000
337 - Phil Mickelson & Pat Perez - $156,375
2002 - 43rd - Phil Mickelson
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST (host course) Bermuda Dunes Country Club,
Indian Wells Country Club, Tamarisk Country Club
When the 43rd edition of the Bob Hope Classic began play, the big question was how would the tournament's biggest star play?
Phil Mickelson, the number two ranked player in the world, was making the Classic his first tournament in five months. Although eligible for several exclusive events, the superstar had chosen to spend time with his wife Amy during the birth of their second child and also supervised their relocation back to his roots in San Diego.
The press wondered whether Mickelson's layoff would negatively impact his game. They didn't have long to wait for that answer.
The Classic's first round, remarkable for the number of players who "went low", ended with Jay Haas and Brandel Chamblee leading at 9 under par. Seven players were only one shot back, including Mickelson., who had been working out and practicing hard during his competitive break.
Australian rookie John Senden grabbed the second round lead at 15 under par followed by Chamblee at 14 under. Mickelson's 67 at Bermuda Dunes put him in a tie for third. However, his chances of winning seemed to fade on Friday when he shot a lackluster 70 at the PGA West Arnold Palmer Private Course. Mickelson trailed the three co-leaders Kirk Triplett, Deane Pappas and Duffy Waldorf by four shots heading into the weekend.
Jay Haas, 1988 Classic champion and first round co-leader, soared back atop the leaderboard on Saturday with his second 63 of the tournament. His 72-hole total of 26 under par led Cameron Beckman and Kenny Perry by a shot. Mickelson, playing at Indian Wells, shot a 65 to remain four shots behind going into Sunday's final round.
The exciting final 18 holes saw a dozen players vying for the lead at various points in the round. Among the fans was former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a special guest of the Classic.
Late on the back nine two players pulled away from the field. First was Mickelson, who birdied the 17th hole then made a clutch pitch shot and three-foot putt for a birdie at 18 to finish at 30 under par. The other player was David Berganio, Jr., who two-putted from 60 feet for birdie at the par five 18th hole to also finish at 30 under.
Mickelson put the finishing touch on his starring role at the Classic when tapped in a short putt for a birdie on the first hole of the sudden death playoff. It was his 20th victory on the PGA TOUR, qualifying him as a Life Member on the TOUR. He also received a $720,000 paycheck, a 2002 PT Cruiser - and the knowledge that his star shines as bright as ever.
Purse $4,000,000
Winner - Phil Mickelson - 330 - $720,000
330 - David Berganio, Jr. - $432,000
332 - Briny Baird - $232,000
332 - Cameron Beckman - $232,000
333 - Jerry Kelly - $160,000
2001 - 42nd - Joe Durant
BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC
Bermuda Dunes Country Club, Indian Wells, La Quinta Country Club and
Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST
Durant capped off a near flawless 65 on Sunday with birdies on two of the last three holes to win the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and set a record for the lowest score ever in a 90-hole TOUR event. The tournament had long since been decided when Durant made the birdies to get to 36 under, breaking the mark of 35 under set here in 1993 by Tom Kite.
Durant faltered only on the final hole, leaving an 8-foot birdie putt short, but it was good enough for a four-shot win over Paul Stankowski, whose 63 was only good enough to make up two shots on the leader. "It was really a magical week," Durant said. "It seemed like every time I needed to make a crucial putt I did."
It was the second scoring record in two days for Durant -- who set a mark for most under par through four rounds at 29 under -- and the third PGA TOUR scoring record to be broken already this year. It also was the second win as a pro for Durant, who didn't flinch after holding the lead going into the final round for the first time as a pro. Durant's lead was never in danger as he made seven birdies and no bogeys on the perfectly manicured PGA West Palmer course that yielded a final-round 59 to David Duval two years ago.
"To win again means a lot. In fact, it almost means more to me than my first time," Durant said. "I feel like I've gone full circle and my game is where it should be."
Stankowski, playing a group in front of Durant, closed within three shots at one point on the back nine, but Durant wasn't going to give him a chance to make it interesting. Durant promptly birdied 16 and 17 before missing his final putt on 18. "I'm a little disappointed because I wanted it and I wanted it bad," Stankowski said. "I wanted to go out and make a bunch of birdies early."
Durant's first win since the 1998 Advil Western Open was never much in doubt after he seized control of the event with a second-round 61 and never looked back. In five rounds, he made 36 birdies and an eagle while making only two bogeys. Calcavecchia, who finished in third six shots back, had predicted that Durant would win easily unless he began hitting shots into the water. He didn't, and birdies on the second and sixth holes showed he wasn't going to come back to the field.
It was a round remarkably similar to that of Calcavecchia only last month when he won the Phoenix Open and set a PGA TOUR scoring record of 256 for a 72-hole event.
Durant made the turn in 34, then promptly birdied the 10th hole with a 12-footer and then got up-and-down out of the bunker on the 11th for another birdie. The closest he came to making a bogey was on No. 12, where he hit his tee shot into a greenside bunker and had to get up-and-down for a par-3.
It was a commanding performance for the 36-year-old player who at one time was so frustrated over his lack of progress in the game that he quit to sell insurance. About the only excitement left for the quiet crowd came when Robert Gamez nearly made a double eagle on No. 6, his 15th hole, and had a chance to shoot 59 with birdies on his last two holes. He left an 8-footer short on his 17th hole, though, and then barely missed a long birdie putt on his final hole for a 61.
"I never thought of 59," said Gamez, who won twice when he came out on TOUR but is not exempt this year. "I just wanted to visualize one shot at a time."
Purse $3,000,000
Winner - Joe Durant - 324 - $540,000.000
Other Finishers:
328 - $324,000 - Paul Stankowski
330 - $174,000 - Mark Calcavecchia
333 - $114,000 - Brad Faxon, Scott Verplank, Bob Tway
334 - $93,500 - Tom Pernice, Jr., Frank Lickliter
335 - $78,000 - Billy Mayfair, Kevin Sutherland
2000 - 41st - Jesper Parnevik
BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC
Bermuda Dunes Country Club, Indian Wells, La Quinta Country Club and
Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST
The first Bob Hope Classic of the new millennium brought out one of the brightest fields in the tournament's history - and it also produced another exciting finish.
Leading the field was defending champion David Duval, who had fired what some regard as the finest 18 holes of golf ever when he shot a 59 in the final round to capture the 1999 Classic. Also making the field extremely competitive were stars such as Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, Hal Sutton, Justin Leonard, Fred Couples, Scott Hoch, Bob Estes, Chris Perry, David Toms, John Huston and Steve Pate. Of course, the crowd's favorite was the venerable Arnold Palmer, making his 40th appearance at the Classic.
But the starring role in the 2000 Classic was played by Sweden's best player, Jesper Parnevik, who became only the second foreign-born golfer to win the tournament. Winning was not an easy accomplishment, however. The only time he ever led the event was when he rolled in a four-foot birdie putt on the 90th and final hole to edge another foreign player, fourth-round leader Rory Sabbatini of South Africa by a shot.
David Toms, a two-time winner on TOUR in 1999, set the first round pace with a splendid 63. Another first round highlight was Casey Martin's first round as a member of the PGA TOUR. Martin received a sponsor's exemption to play in the 2000 Classic from the Classic Board of Directors.
Greg Kraft (back-to-back 65s) took the lead after 36 holes before Rich Beem, surprise winner in Chicago in 1999, grabbed a two-shot lead after 54 holes. Sabbatini fired a fourth round 64 to carry a two-shot margin into the final 18 holes - and seemed to have the Classic victory in his sights until he developed problems with his tee shots over the final nine holes. He needed a birdie on 18 to tie, but hit his drive into the left rough, chipped across the fairway into the trees on the right, then struck a splendid wedge to 25 feed. The putt to tie, however, missed just left, leaving Jesper (who won the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic in 1999) $540,000 richer.
Among other highlights of the 2000 Classic were: The unveiling of the newly redesigned La Quinta Country Club layout, which played particularly tough; the new par of 61 at Bermuda Dunes, when the first hole was shortened to a challenging par 4; the superb title defense of David Duval - he contended until late on Sunday before finishing 5th, the best finish by a defender in25 years; the 61 fired by Brent Geiberger, to tie the course record at Indian Wells; and the cut of 11 under par, which broke both the tournament and TOUR records for lowest cut ever.
Purse $3,000,000
Winner - Jesper Parnevik - 331 - $540,000.000
Other Finishers:
332 - $324,000 - Rory Sabbatini
333 - $174,000 - J.L. Lewis, David Toms
335 - $114,000 - Hal Sutton, David Duval
336 - $93,500 - Fred Funk, John Huston, Matt Gogel
337 - $78,000 - Kirk Triplett, Andrew Magee
