Duval Goes to the Wells and Shoots 63

By THOMAS BONK

Jan. 22, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

PALM DESERT —

Here’s what it took for David Duval to work his way into contention again at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic: three rounds, three days, 54 holes and a Friday at Indian Wells Country Club.

We all know Indian Wells, right? It’s where Desi Arnaz was an original owner and where Lucy could shoot par. Proving again that Indian Wells is the best place to play golf during the Hope, Duval scorched the place with a nine-under-par 63 and started to look a lot like a guy who could win this thing for the second consecutive year.

Even Duval thinks it’s true.

“I feel like I have a good chance,” said Duval, who enhanced such a possibility with a seven-birdie, one-eagle round that left him within three shots of leader Rich Beem.

There is plenty of good news for Beem, the 1999 Kemper Open champion who was burned out on golf and quit the game in 1995 to sell cellular phones and car stereos in Seattle.

First, he knows how to avoid getting ripped off when buying car stereos. Second, he shot a seven-under 65 Friday at La Quinta Country Club. Third, his 20-under total of 195 ties the 54-hole tournament record. Fourth (and best), he gets to play Indian Wells today.

“It’s the easiest course on the rotation, [but] I’m certainly not going to take it for granted,” Beem said.

Now that’s not very sporting, is it? Don’t talk bad about the place before you go tear it up.

Anyway, with two rounds to go, Beem’s lead is two shots over Matt Gogel and David Toms at 197, with Duval and Craig Barlow three shots back at 198. Greg Kraft and Peter Jacobsen are another shot behind at 199.

With Hal Sutton, Rory Sabbatini and Andrew Magee at 200, there are nine players within five shots of Beem.

However, Casey Martin is not one of them. After putting cross-handed and coming in at one over on the back for a 71 at the Palmer Course at PGA West, Martin is at 210 and will miss the cut if he doesn’t go way low today at La Quinta--the most difficult of the four courses.

As for some of the Hope’s more glamorous names, most still have Beem in their sights. Jesper Parnevik’s 66 at Indian Wells left him at 202, and Davis Love III, Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson are in a group at 203.

Right now, Beem is in a group all by himself. He began at No. 10 and made the turn at two under, then had quite an experience on his second nine. From No. 3, his 12th hole, Beem went birdie, bogey, eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie.

“You just take it as it comes,” Beem said.

Gogel, a two-time winner last year on the Nike Tour, missed the cut last week at the Sony Open but turned in a 64 at Indian Wells. The 29-year-old former University of Kansas player is playing in his third PGA Tour event.

“I’m very obscure right now walking around the clubhouse and I don’t get bothered, and that’s pretty nice,” Gogel said.

Jacobsen will be 46 next month and, as a six-time tournament winner, is hardly obscure. But he hasn’t won in five years and had to use his one-time-only exemption for being in the top 50 on the PGA Tour career money list to play this year.

Visiting Indian Wells did wonders for Jacobsen’s game, and after his 66, he was asked if he had just announced his comeback.

“My comeback?” Jacobsen said. “Where have I been? I don’t know if I went anywhere. I’ve kind of always been hanging around, bugging people.”

The 1990 Bob Hope champion, Jacobsen said he isn’t going to make any predictions about winning again. At his age, Jacobsen said he has other professional decisions to make.

“I’m thinking about maybe taking up a paper route instead of doing this stuff,” he said.

The way things have been going for Duval, who shot a 59 at the Palmer Course on Sunday to win last year, it is clear he made the proper career decision. Duval had an eagle on No. 18, his ninth hole, after he hit a five-iron to seven feet. But he narrowly missed eagles on the final two holes. At the par-five eighth, he hit a three-iron through the green and missed an eagle chip by about two inches. And on the par-four ninth, his finishing hole, he hit a nine-iron to about four inches.

This is a very nice way to end a round. Should Duval need any further advantage, he may have one in that he spends the last two days at host course Bermuda Dunes.

Duval said he is playing well, but wasn’t sure there was a 59 available to him Friday.

“I passed it at some point, I guess,” Duval said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Bob Hope Chrysler Classic

LEADERS

RICH BEEM

67-63-65--195

MATT GOGEL

66-67-64--197

DAVID TOMS

63-68-66--197

CRAIG BARLOW