Lietzke Ties Magee With a Record 62

Better hurry on over to Bermuda Dunes today for the final day of hunting season. Birdies are prey, as usual, which probably is what Bruce Lietzke meant after he bagged 10 Saturday on his way to a 62, then was asked what it all meant.

“Welcome to the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic,” Lietzke said.

With only 18 holes to go, it’s clear that all this tournament needs is a few decoys, some camouflage and a game warden. Lietzke and Andrew Magee are tied for the lead at 25 under par and they’re taking aim at the $414,000 winner’s share out here in the desert, where the only thing you see more often than birdies is sand.

Lietzke’s 62 at PGA West tied a course record and he felt great about it. Magee’s 68 at Bermuda Dunes might have been four under, but he had only one birdie on his last nine and didn’t feel all that wonderful.

After all, he had just shot four under and been caught from behind. At least he wasn’t surprised.

“This is the Bob Hope, man,” Magee said. “Someone is shooting 10 under here every day. You just hope you’re the one doing the shooting.”

When the shooting stops this afternoon in the $2.3-million event, somebody’s going to have the winner’s share in the 39th edition of the Hope, but there’s no guarantee it’s going to be either Lietzke or Magee.

Fred Couples cleaned up at Indian Wells as expected with a six-under 66 and he’s only three shots back at 22-under 266 through 72 holes. Couples is tied with Steve Jones, whose second consecutive 65 got him close to the leaders.

Four shots back and clearly not out of the hunt are Stewart Cink, Mark O’Meara and David Duval, who are tied at 21-under 267.

So it’s plain to see that there’s plenty of room for anyone close to the lead to make a move, especially when the scores drop a few octaves like they do around here.

The cut was at nine under par, which isn’t a record (it was 10 under in 1993) but that’s not the point. What’s important around here is carnage, and as sure as Bob Hope has a ski nose, that’s what the players are thinking about this morning.

“Each of us wakes up in the morning, you expect to make five, six, seven birdies,” said Lietzke, who then made a not-so-bold prediction.

“There will be low scores [today]. The potential to shoot 62 or 63 is right here at this golf course, I believe.”

Well, right you are, Bruce. After O’Meara’s four-under 68 at Bermuda Dunes, he said his only hope is to do a lot better than that.

“Hopefully, I can get out there and take it deep because that’s what it’s going to take.”

That’s probably the best way to play today in this particular tournament: hopefully.

Lietzke’s round at the Palmer Course at PGA West was as close to perfection as finding a parking place close to the course where the celebrity field was playing.

He needed only 21 putts and pretty much torched the course. Lietzke started on the back and birdied the 11th hole after he chipped to four feet. But he was just getting started. Beginning at No. 13, he birdied five straight holes, only one of them with a putt longer than three feet.

And on the front, he came up with four more birdies when he made putts so close to the hole he probably could have breathed them in--four feet at No. 2, two feet at No. 4, three feet at No. 6 and two feet at No. 8.

Lietzke said his score accurately reflected the way he played.

“You know, 62, obviously, you are doing a lot of things right,” he said.

Magee birdied his first hole on the back nine and thought he would birdie the rest. He sounded surprised he didn’t. And as for pressure heading into the last round as the co-leader, Magee didn’t shy away from it at all.

“You know, there’s only one day left in this horse race. I’ve got as good a shot as anybody.”