Anyone’s Guess to Name Winner

Welcome to the last day and the final round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the official halfway house to stardom, where your winners tend to be either blossoming stars or tinder dry tumbleweed.

Yes, this is the tournament that has given us such champions as Fred Couples, Tom Kite and John Cook . . . but also Kenny Perry, Donnie Hammond and Ed Fiori.

So which way is it going to go this time?

“Who knows?” said Steve Pate.

At least he’s honest. After Saturday’s fourth round of the $3-million event, it’s pretty clear that what the Hope might be lacking in star power is being made up for by serving as a place where a guy can get noticed.

With 18 holes to go, it’s still Fred Funk in the lead. The 42-year-old from Florida bogeyed two of his last five holes at Bermuda Dunes, but still finished with a 69 and a 72-hole total of 268 that’s worth a one-shot lead over Pate, who shot 69 at Tamarisk.

Funk knows he would have been in a lot better shape if he had somehow convinced his golf ball to drop into the hole a little sooner on those last few holes.

“I went from a pretty good lead and now it’s a shootout,” Funk said. “I made a lot of mistakes and to still be leading is pretty amazing to me.”

John Huston’s 63 at Tamarisk moved him into third place with Skip Kendall at 18-under 270. Bob Estes is three shots back, Scott Verplank is four shots behind and Gabriel Hjertstedt is five shots off the lead.

Nobody else is closer than six shots.

As for the big names, you probably have a better chance of finding a parking place outside PGA West than bringing one of these guys to the check ceremony this afternoon.

John Daly, who is mystified that he can’t play the Palmer Course any better, sure didn’t have it figured out Saturday when he turned in a one-over 73 that left him six shots back at 14-under 274.

David Duval began the day six shots back and ended it seven shots back after his 70 at the Palmer Course.

Defending champion Fred Couples shot 71 and missed the cut at two-over 290. It was his first missed cut in 16 tournaments, going back to last year’s Buick Invitational. Two-time winner John Cook also missed the cut at, one-under 287, 19 shots behind Funk.

Also missing for today’s last round are Paul Azinger, Tom Kite, Mark Calcavecchia, Steve Jones, Bruce Lietzke and Fuzzy Zoeller.

So it appears that whoever wins this time is going to be someone from out of the pack. If the Hope were a spa instead of a golf tournament, it would be a 90-hole make-over. Funk, Pate and Huston have combined for 16 PGA Tour victories (six by Pate), but the next four players in line--Kendall, Estes, Verplank and Hjertstedt--have won four in all.

Kendall, 34, in his fourth year on the tour, is the only one in the bunch who is winless, which probably makes him the perfect choice to win here.

“I am just trying to get there,” he said. “Hopefully one of these times it will go my way. I guess you just have to stay patient. I think it is just a battle of the nerves.”

Pate meandered through a basically uneventful four-birdie, one-bogey round and felt fortunate to still be in contention.

“I didn’t hit it very well and I didn’t make very many putts,” he said. “I’ve never played well in this tournament.”

So much for maintaining that positive attitude.

Huston had a much better day, which is what a nine-under round will do for you. He birdied the first hole, then waited until his sixth hole to really turn it on with a stretch of four straight birdies and eight of 10.

“It wasn’t too hard,” said Huston, who is sort of particular about his favorite position to be in going into the last day of a tournament.

“In the lead,” he said.

Maybe, but that spot is currently occupied by Funk, although his footing got a little slippery down the stretch.

“I can still win the tournament, which is the good news,” he said.

Hey, somebody has to. It might as well be him as anybody . . . it’s that kind of tournament again.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

In Front

Scores through Saturday’s play (Complete scores, Page 14):

BOB HOPE CLASSIC--Par 72

Fred Funk: 65-68-66-69--268 -20

Steve Pate: 66-70-64-69--269 -19

Skip Kendall: 67-73-66-64--270 -18

John Huston: 63-73-71-63--270 -18

Bob Estes: 68-71-65-67--271 -17

Scott Verplank: 67-71-67-67--272 -16