Campbell holds on to win Hope
Chad Campbell let one slip away a week ago.
Not this time.
Campbell, who hadn’t had much success in the past when he went into the final day with a lead, shot a scrambling 71 Sunday to hold off Scott Verplank and Jesper Parnevik and win the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in Palm Desert, Calif.
“It’s nice to come back after the way things worked out last Sunday, to come out today and get the job done,” said Campbell, who was tied with David Toms for the lead in Hawaii last week before shooting a closing 70 to Toms’ winning 65.
Campbell took the Hope lead in the second round of the 90-hole tournament and never gave it up, although Verplank briefly drew even early in the closing round.
Campbell’s 1-under round put him at 25-under 335, three shots in front of Verplank and 2000 Hope champion Parnevik.
Verplank, one stroke behind Campbell beginning the day, had a 73 and Parnevik made a charge with a 67 during a round when gusty wind in the afternoon made the new Classic Course at Northstar tricky.
“None of us played any good, to be honest,” Verplank said. “The wind picked up, the golf course changes immensely. I was just a little quick. I don’t know whether it was the wind or nerves or whatever it was.”
John Huston finished fourth with a 68 and 339 total. Former Hope winners Phil Mickelson and Mike Weir tied for fifth with John Senden. Mickelson, the tournament champion in 2002 and 2004, shot a 71 to finish at 19 under along with Weir (70) and Senden (73).
It was the sixth time Campbell had entered the closing day of a tour event either tied for the lead or alone at the top – and only the second time he came out with a victory.
Parnevik, who was 5 under and far back in the field after three rounds, was pleased with the way his game came around. He said he had been putting so poorly that he didn’t even think he was going to make the cut going into Saturday, but he shot a fourth-round 62 to make it.
“So it was amazing to actually have a chance to win today,” he said. “I was praying for the wind to be here today, which it actually got up on the back nine. I thought that was my only chance.”
Women’s World Cup
Annika Sorenstam eagled the par-5 14th hole and offset a poor round by teammate Liselotte Neumann to lead Sweden to a three-stroke victory at the Women’s World Cup in Sun City, South Africa.
Scotland was second and Wales third. The United States, with Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis each shooting a 1-over-par 73, was fourth, eight strokes behind the Swedes.
Champions Tour
Loren Roberts made a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a course-record 11-under 61 and a one-stroke victory over Don Pooley in the Champions Tour’s season-opening MasterCard Championship in Kaupulehu, Hawaii.
The 50-year-old Roberts had a 25-under 191 total on the Hualalai course to shatter the Champions Tour record for relation to par in a 54-hole event and also finished with 26 birdies to break another tour record for a three-round tournament.
Abu Dhabi Championship
Chris DiMarco shot a 5-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over third-round leader Henrik Stenson at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The 37-year-old American finished the tournament at 20-under 268.
Stenson, who shot a 69, birdied the final hole to claim second place ahead of Sergio Garcia. The Spaniard shot a 66 and finished two strokes behind DiMarco.