Trahan wins Bob Hope Classic

2008-01-20

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By John Reger PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PALM DESERT, California (Ticker) -- No one told D.J. Trahan he had any business winning the $5.1 million Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Trahan shook off final-round jitters, erasing a four-stroke deficit at the beginning of the final round en route to shooting a 7-under-par 65 and winning the event by three shots over Justin Leonard on Sunday.

Trahan, who earned $918,000 for the victory, finished with a total of 26-under 334.

The third-round leader, Leonard finished with a final round of even-par 72, including a 3-over-par 39 on the back nine. Kenny Perry and Anthony Kim finished four strokes off the pace in third after both carding a 66.

"I'm very proud of the way I played," Trahan said. "I knew it was going to be a hard-fought day. I had to go out there and shoot a low number and I did that."

In two previous appearances at this event, Trahan failed to make the cut for the final day and managed only one score in the 60s in eight rounds. His only other win was at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic in 2006 and he was facing a four-shot deficit against a veteran with 11 career victories, including a major championship.

Leonard's four-stroke advantage with 18 holes to play looked insurmountable, especially when he posted a 3-under 33 on the front nine and was three strokes up with nine holes to play.

"I played solidly the first eight holes," Leonard said. "I was 3-under par. Obviously D.J. was playing well."

Trahan was one of four golfers tied for second going into the final round and birdied four of his first six holes.

Leonard's first birdie was a 10-foot putt on the third hole. He made a 40-foot birdie on the following hole to maintain a three-stroke lead after Trahan had chipped in from 34 feet off the right of the green.

Trahan started chipping away at Leonard's lead just before the two made the turn. He sunk a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5, 595-yard ninth hole to cut the lead to three.

Trahan played the par-5s well on Sunday, collecting a birdie on all four of them. Leonard went just 1-over par.

"The front nine (Leonard) played so solidly, I knew I had to keep up with him," Trahan said. "The birdie on nine really sparked me."

On the 10th hole, there was a two-shot swing when Trahan made a 34-foot putt for a birdie and Leonard committed his first miscue of the day. Leonard's second shot just reached the front of the green on the 474-yard par-4. He lagged his first putt to 12 feet, but could not save par.

The two were tied after the 11th hole when Leonard made his second consecutive bogey. Leonard's approach shot landed in the right greenside bunker and he was unable to get up and down.

"Bogeying 10, 11 from the fairway, they're difficult holes, but to make bogey there at those two holes was obviously a huge difference in the outcome," Leonard said. "I never really gave myself a chance the last four holes which is disappointing."

With the two players tied, Trahan took the lead on the par-5 14th, reaching the green in two, lagging his first putt 76 feet to 5 feet and confidently knocking in the birdie putt.

The one-stroke advantage stayed until the 18th hole. Trahan hit his drive in the fairway, but Leonard knocked his into the water on the right. Leonard struggled off the tee most of the day. He hit 10-of-14 fairways for the third time in five rounds.

This tournament is considered a putting contest, something that is not really Trahan's strong suit. Last year, he was 171st in putts per rounds and 183rd in putting average, though 27th in greens in regulation.

For this event, Trahan was first in birdies per round and first in putts per round.

"It means a lot and it is the reason I (won)," Trahan said. "The greens are perfect and it is a birdie contest. I set a goal for myself to work on my putting and it went in the right direction this week."