Par Takes a Beating in Hope : Golf: There are eagles galore, including two by Sauers, who leads the tournament by one shot.

Eagles and low scores were commonplace Friday during the third round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Mark O’Meara had a double eagle. There have been only five double eagles on the PGA Tour in each of the last two years.

Gene Sauers had two eagles in shooting a 64, eight under par, at La Quinta. He is the 54-hole leader at 198, a stroke ahead of Steve Elkington, who also had two eagles in his 66.

O’Meara and Kenny Perry, who also had an eagle, are two shots behind Sauers.

Mild weather, temperatures in the 70s with not a whisper of wind contributed to the low scores.

John Cook shot a nine-under-par 63 at Bermuda Dunes, tying the course record. He is at 201 and tied with Brian Claar and Neal Lancaster, three shots behind Sauers.

Cook didn’t get an eagle, settling for nine birdies. It was that kind of day.

Mike Springer also shot a 63, tying the course record at La Quinta. He is at 204.

Sauers said he hit only five fairways and 13 greens during his round of 64. However, he had only 25 putts.

“I think I’ll sleep with my putter tonight,” he said.

As for his two eagles, he said: “I haven’t done that since six or seven years ago in a qualifying round for the U.S. Open in Atlanta.”

He got his first Friday on the par-five, 521-yard sixth hole at La Quinta with a one-iron shot to within 15 feet of the cup.

He got his second on the par-five, 533-yard 11th hole when his ball rolled 60 feet over two humps on the green.

Elkington said he couldn’t remember having two eagles in a round.

The Australian, who lives in Houston, won the opening tour event, the Infiniti Tournament of Champions at La Costa. He is trying to emulate Steve Jones, who won the early season Tournament of Champions and Hope tournament in 1989.

“I’m on a roll, and I’m just trying to step out of the way and let it happen,” Elkington said.

Elkington got his eagle at the 11th hole at La Quinta with a putt he estimated at 100 feet.

“It was over three levels, but it looked good all the way,” Elkington said. “With those putts you just smash them. It went right in the center of the cup.”

Of his success, Elkington said: “I’m going to keep playing until it ends. I’m going to run this thing out.”

O’Meara, who lost to Corey Pavin in a playoff here last year when Pavin made 45-foot chip shot for a winning birdie, shot a 65 at Indian Wells, regarded as the easiest of the four courses.

O’Meara started his round on the 10th hole. He said he was 250 yards from the green on the par-five 18th hole and wanted to go for it, although his caddie was advising him to lay up.

“I hit a three-wood and I’ve never hit a more perfect shot,” O’Meara said. “It landed about four paces onto the green, rolled uphill and went in.”

O’Meara said it was the only double eagle he has made in competition. “I shot a 65 and didn’t lose ground,” O’Meara said, adding that a 65 usually results in a player gaining on the field, if not taking the lead.

Sixty-six players shot rounds in the 60s Friday and there were 103 sub-par rounds.

Golf Notes

John Daly said Friday that he will contest any palimony, or paternity suit, filed by his former girlfriend, Bettye Fulford. Daly said that he discovered that she was married during the time he was with her, a year and half. “At the time, I was 23 and she said she was 29,” Daly said. “We went to Jamaica (for a golf tournament) in December, and her passport said she was 39. When I asked her about it, she said she had to use her cousin’s passport. How can she file for palimony when she was married? She fooled everybody on the PGA Tour.” Daly added that Fulford became became more distant after he won the PGA Championship in August. “She knew I was going to find out about her,” Daly said. Daly said he won’t play in the Nissan Los Angeles Open next month at Riviera Country Club because he was denied admission to the players’ parking lot there last year, even after showing credentials that identified him as a player. . . . Daly shot a 68 Friday after scoring a 32 on his front nine at the Palmer course at PGA West. He is at 212, 14 strokes behind Gene Sauers. . . . Arnold Palmer also had an eagle, during his round of 70 at PGA West. He is at 210.