PALM DESERT, California (Reuters) - American D.J. Trahan bogeyed the par-five 18th to slip back into a four-way tie for the lead midway through the Bob Hope Classic fourth round on Saturday.
A stroke off the pace overnight, Trahan covered his outward nine in one-under 35 on the Palmer Course at PGA West, one of four venues hosting the pro-am celebrity event.
That left him at 18-under overall, level with compatriots Justin Leonard, Anthony Kim and Robert Gamez.
Leonard, the 2005 champion, had completed eight holes at the hosting Classic Club in bright sunshine while Kim, boosted by four straight birdies at the start of his round, had 10 holes remaining at La Quinta Country Club.
Gamez, the overnight pacesetter, was level for the day with four holes to play after rallying from an outward nine of three-over 39.
Trahan, whose only PGA Tour win came at the 2006 Southern Farm Bureau Classic, made a stumbling start on another benign day in the California desert by bogeying the par-four 10th.
However, he immediately recovered with birdies at the 11th and 12th before picking up another shot at the par-four 16th to briefly take control of the tournament before his slip on 18.
Three-times PGA Tour winner Gamez, a stroke ahead of the field overnight, lost ground when he double-bogeyed the par-four second after hitting his second shot into water.
He also bogeyed the par-three eighth after three-putting from long range before regaining momentum with birdies at the 11th, 13th and 14th.
The fourth-round cut was projected to fall at six-under with former world number one Fred Couples, 1991 winner Corey Pavin and twice U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen in danger of missing out.
(Editing by Ken Ferris)
