Americans Bill Haas and Matt Kuchar shared the lead midway through Monday's final round of the weather-delayed Bob Hope Classic at La Quinta, California. With conditions ideal for low scoring on a glorious sun-drenched day in the California desert, Haas and Kuchar were locked at 27 under par in the fifth round of the pro-am celebrity event. Haas, bidding for his first victory on the PGA Tour, had completed nine holes at the hosting Palmer Private course at PGA West while double champion Kuchar had completed 10. Left-hander Bubba Watson, who had been tied for the overnight lead with fellow American Alex Prugh, was a further two strokes back in a tie for third with South African Tim Clark. The long-hitting Watson was two under for the round after nine holes with Clark three under, having hit a superb approach to within two inches of the cup to birdie the par-four 10th. A fifth-round birdie slugfest was always on the cards with 14 players bunched within five shots of the overnight lead and Haas and Kuchar made the most significant early moves. Haas, a stroke off the pace at the start of the day, birdied the second, fourth and par-three fifth, where he rolled in a 30-footer, to edge one ahead of the chasing pack. Further birdies at the sixth and eighth gave him an outward nine of five under and a share of the lead with the red-hot Kuchar, who was seven under for the round after 10 holes. Kuchar scorched the front nine in six under before ramming in a 16-foot birdie putt at the 10th to join Haas at 27 under. On Sunday, Long-hitting American Bubba Watson tumbled back into a tie for the lead when he double-bogeyed the final hole in fourth round of the weather-delayed Bob Hope Classic at La Quinta, California. Two strokes clear playing the par-four 18th on the Nicklaus Private course at PGA West, Watson dumped his approach into water on the way to an ugly six and a three-under-par 69. That left him at 23-under 265 and level with compatriot Alex Prugh, who carded a 70 on the 7,553-yard SilverRock Resort layout, the longest of the four venues hosting the 90-hole tournament. South African Tim Clark, hunting his first victory on the PGA Tour, shot a six-birdie 66 at SilverRock to lie joint third at 22 under with American Bill Haas, after a matching 66.
