Beem ties record to lead by two

The desert is Rich Beem's idea of a working vacation.

Back from two miserable weeks in Hawaii, Beem tied the 54-hole record in the Bob Hope Classic today with a 7-under 65 to take the lead over Nike Tour graduate Matt Gogel going into the weekend.

What a difference a change of scenery makes for Beem. In six rounds over two tournaments in Hawaii, he was 21-over-par. Through three rounds in the desert, he was 20-under - and he still hasn't played Indian Wells, the easiest of the four courses.

"I'm just pleased where I'm at," said Beem, a reference to his location on the map as much as his spot on the leaderboard. "The first three days have been awesome. I can't imagine I've been 20-under for three rounds in my life on any golf course, much less a tour event."

His 195 tied the 54-hole tournament record set by Andrew Magee, who was 21-under in 1998. Bermuda Dunes, which Beem played Wednesday, is a par 71 this year.

Gogel, who turned pro in 1994 but never played a PGA Tour event until last week in Honolulu, had four straight birdies at Indian Wells and finished with a 64 for a 19-under 197.

Defending champion David Duval may not need a 59 to win this year. On a day that finally feature some semblance of wind - a palm frond actually moved - Duval breezed through Indian Wells for a 63 that left him at 18-under.

"You know there's a good opportunity to put up a good number," said Duval, who birdied the last four holes. "I don't know if I could have gotten a 59, but you could make an argument for 60."

Casey Martin would take anything in the 60s right now. He had a 1-under 71 - 5-under for the week - and was in danger of missing the cut in his debut as the first PGA Tour member in a cart.

First-round leader David Toms had a 66 and was at 18-under 197. Peter Jacobsen, a past champion of the Hope Classic, was at 17-under. Greg Kraft, the leader to start the third round, had a 69 and fell four strokes behind.

Among those who need to make a move Saturday to get closer to the lead are Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Phil Mickelson, all at 203. All three of them failed to win on tour last year.

There was reason to believe Beem would be a one-hit wonder on tour. The former cell phone and car stereo salesman, who got his tour card on his first try and won the Kemper Open, opened the year with an 84 in the Mercedes Championship and finished last in the winners-only field of 30.

A week later in the Sony Open, he missed the cut.

No surprise then, that Beem showed up on the first tee Wednesday wondering where the ball would go.

"I just tried to make as few bogeys as possible the first day," he said, not exactly the formula for winning the birdiefest known as the Hope Classic.

He didn't, and a 63 on Thursday really got him going. He didn't stop Friday at La Quinta, and followed his only bogey of the round with a chip-in for eagle.

"I can't start letting up now," he said.

Beem has a history of playing well in the land of cactus and palm.

After watching fellow El Paso, Texas, resident J.P. Hayes win on tour, Beem figured there had to be more to life than selling stereos in Seattle. He proceeded straight to qualifying school, held two years ago at the PGA West resort.

"At Kapalua, that's not my style of golf, nor my style of conditions. The winds in Hawaii were a little brutal for me, a lot thicker winds than I'm used to in Texas," he said. "I was looking forward to coming back to Palm Springs where I had some success."

Despite his short history, Beem is a good front-runner. He had at least a share of the lead after every round when he won the Kemper, and he says he tends to stay hot once he gets on a roll.

The only drawback to winning this week? Another trip to Hawaii.

"I've got to go, just because the tournament is there," he said. "But I love the desert."

DIVOTS: Tiger Woods decided not to play the Phoenix Open. Woods has suggested that the fan arrested for carrying a gun at last year's tournament, plus the football-style galleries, might have a bearing on whether he played. A more logical reason was that he plans to play the next four weeks. ... Colin Montgomerie told the BBC on Friday that he might retire if he won the British Open this year at St. Andrews. "If I happen to be lucky enough and win, I do believe that I would give it up. I mean, where do you go from there?" Montgomerie later said that's not what he meant. ... Ken Venturi, the 1964 U.S. Open champion and CBS Sports golf analyst, will be inducted next week as the 14th member of the Phoenix Open Hall of Fame. ... Nike Golf dumped Oregon native Peter Jacobsen after 18 years. Jacobsen is wearing Tommy Bahama Hawaiian shirts, "which probably fits my personality more than anything."

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