Bob Hope Classic Power Rankings

Filed under: PGA

The PGA returns to the mainland and begins its West Coast Swing with the Bob Hope Classic. This tournament features a long list of celebrities playing alongside the professionals, and the setup reflects that. It's no coincidence that the four courses used in this event ranked in the top-seven easiest in 2010.

Expect one of the lowest scoring weeks of the year as players take on La Quinta Country Club, SilverRock Resort, PGA West's Nicklaus Course and PGA West's Palmer Course over five rounds. Only the top 70 and ties will play in Sunday's final round, which is the same round David Duval fired a 59 to win by a stroke in 1999.

Here's who we see contending on Sunday:

1. Matt Kuchar -- Last year's money winner has found his place on Tour and seems extremely confident right now. Kuchar, pictured, is one of only two players to record a top-10 finish in each of the first two weeks. In the final round of the Sony Open, he looked as relaxed as anyone and likely would have caught Mark Wilson had he not averaged nearly two putts per GIR.

2. Bubba Watson -- The long-hitting lefty didn't break 70 in the first tournament of the year but still managed a top-25 finish. One of his four top-3 finishes a year ago came at this tournament. His second-round 62 was the lowest of week. With a win under his belt now, maybe he'll be able to close out the tournament if he finds himself the fourth-round leader again this weekend.

3. Bill Haas -- Last year's winner shot only one round higher than a 66 en route to his first career victory. Haas began this season with a 8th place finish at the Tournament of Champions, where he carded two bogey-free rounds and tied for 7th in driving accuracy. The 28-year-old hasn't finished outside of the top 30 since September.

4. Charley Hoffman -- The 2007 Bob Hope winner welcomes a shootout. Seventh last year in birdie average, Hoffman carded nine over a span of 13 holes during his third round in the opener two weeks ago. He's also a long hitter with a personality that seems to fit a celebrity event.

5. Brendon de Jonge -- Now in his fourth full season on tour, de Jonge is a likely candidate to pick up his first win in 2011. He tied for 6th last year with seven top 10s, which included three top 3s. There's no questioning his ability to score as he led the Tour in total birdies in 2010.

 

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Source: http://golf.fanhouse.com/2011/01/19/bob-hope-classic-power-rankings-low-scores-galore/

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