Langer Suddenly Is Man of La Quinta After Round of 68

When Pete Dye designed the Stadium Course at PGA West, he said he wanted a Scottish golf course in the desert. He not only got that, he’s gotten Scottish weather this week at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

So it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Man of La Quinta Friday was West German Bernhard Langer, a veteran of the European tour who is accustomed to playing in conditions better suited for ice fishing than golf.

Langer shot a four-under-par 68 at PGA West for a three-round total of 202, 14 under, and a three-stroke lead over Raymond Floyd.

Only one other pro has played as well this week at PGA West, considered the nation’s most difficult course. Brad Faxon also finished at 68 Friday after shooting 78 Thursday at Indian Wells, the easiest of the four courses used for the Hope.

As Mac O’Grady might say, that comes under the heading of mysteries of the game.

O’Grady, the tour’s leading mystic, also likes to talk about “atrocities that eventuate,” which Andy Bean could tell you something about, although in earthier language.

Entering his appointed round at PGA West Friday, Bean was 13 under par and had a three-stroke lead over Langer. But he shot a 75, falling four strokes out of the lead, and is tied with Bob Tway at 206, 10 under.

Six players are another stroke behind at 207.

As Bean left the tee-box on one hole, a spectator said he thought Bean’s drive had landed in the fairway, a rare occurrence for him Friday.

“If it’s not, you can tell Pete Dye to stick this course up his ying yang,” Bean said.

“You should tell him anyway,” another spectator said.

“I think I will,” Bean said.

It didn’t help Bean’s frame of mind that he was in the middle of a 6-hour 10-minute round.

Bean and the other pros who played last week in the MONY Tournament of Champions have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Because the field at La Costa was limited to 39 players, they finished rounds in about 3 hours and 45 minutes.

But with 128 players, including 96 amateurs, on each of the four courses here, it routinely takes 5 1/2 hours to finish. One reason is that some of the amateurs don’t hit the ball quite as straight as Calvin Peete. Some of them don’t hit it as straight as Calvin Klein.

As the sun began to disappear Friday, a tour official suggested sending a St. Bernard to find Bean.

At least, there had been sun, though, unlike Thursday, when it rained most of the day. But the high temperature Friday was 53 degrees, and the wind gusted as high as 40 m.p.h.

“I saw Arnold Palmer in thick warm pants and a cashmere turtleneck sweater,” Floyd said. “I haven’t learned to prepare like that yet. I’ve only been out on the tour 25 years.

“When I’ve been around as long as Arnold, I’ll know to bring cashmere turtleneck sweaters to Palm Springs.”

Considering the conditions, Floyd’s 68 was outstanding, even for Indian Wells. The only round better Friday was T.C. Chen’s 67, also at Indian Wells.

“The way the wind was blowing, I wouldn’t have been dissatisfied with par at Indian Wells,” Floyd said.

Indian Wells has taken a beating from the pros this week, but it claimed a couple of prominent scalps in the third round. Fuzzy Zoeller, who began the day only five strokes out of the lead, shot 77. Lanny Wadkins shot 76.

Those who were at Indian Wells Friday now go to PGA West, where there have been only 20 scores under par all week.

Three of the top 10 players, and 7 of the top 22, will be at PGA West today. That includes Floyd and Tway.

If they are among the low 70 pros and ties after today’s round, they get the pleasure of returning to PGA West for Sunday’s final round.

Asked if he’d be satisfied with par at PGA West if the conditions remain the same, Floyd said: “I’d like to have two rounds of par here if the conditions are perfect. You can read into that whatever you please.”

No one had to read anything into Langer’s comments about PGA West. He doesn’t like it.

“I’ve seen better courses, and I’ve seen worse,” he said. “This isn’t my favorite. The layout’s not bad, but they’ve overdone things. The bunkers are too severe. Sometimes you can’t even see the greens. Certain holes are unfair.”

One of those, he said, is the par 5, 555-yard 16th, which has a 19-foot bunker to the left of the green.

He called the hole “silly.” Its official name is San Andreas Fault.

“If you go into the bunker, you could stay all day down there,” Langer said. “My three-wood went through the green and into a hole. I’ve never seen a bank like that. I was five feet from the green and couldn’t see the flag.”

Yet, Langer sank a 12-foot putt for a birdie.

Even though he complained about the greens, which haven’t had time to mature on the year-old course, that was one of four consecutive one-putt greens for him. He had five birdies and only one bogey.

A course official said the only player who has shot better at PGA West is Fred Couples, who had a 67 in a practice round shortly before the course opened in January of last year.

“Surprise, surprise,” Langer said of his 68. “I really tried to play it safe most of the time. I kept the ball in the fairway and never had any trouble, which is the major thing you have to do here.”

Langer said the cold bothered him, but at least he was dressed for it. He wore corduroy pants, a cashmere sweater and a windbreaker.

“I brought along these for the AT&T;,” he said, referring to the Pebble Beach tournament the week after next.

“If somebody asked me before the round if I would take a 72 without having to play, I would have taken it,” said Langer, who plays today at Bermuda Dunes.