Pat Perez leads after round of 60

American Pat Perez birdied his last three holes for a sizzling 12-under-par 60 to take a three-shot lead in the Bob Hope Classic first round on Wednesday.

Playing on the Palmer Course at PGA West in bright sunshine, Perez put an overnight stomach bug behind him by reeling off 12 birdies in a blemish-free display.

Compatriot Chad Campbell, joint runner-up at last week's Sony Open in Hawaii, was alone in second place after firing a 63 at Bermuda Dunes Country Club, one of four par-72 courses being used in rotation for this week's 90-hole event.

Australia's Steve Elkington, winner of the 1995 U.S. PGA Championship, was third after a 64 at La Quinta Country Club while Americans John Huston, Olin Browne and Tom Pernice junior were tied for fourth after carding matching 65s.

Huston and Browne played the opening round at Bermuda Dunes with Pernice junior starting at PGA West.

World number five and twice winner Phil Mickelson, the only member of the world's top 10 playing this week, opened with a 66 at La Quinta in his first event of the season.

A further stroke back on 67 was a bunch of players including defending champion Justin Leonard and 2003 winner Mike Weir of Canada.

Perez, who teed off in the first group of the day at the par-four 10th, conceded he had not known what to expect at the 47th Bob Hope Classic after suffering from food poisoning overnight.

"I didn't think it was going to be special today as I ate something bad and was up at 0430 this morning," the 29-year-old from Arizona told reporters.

"I tried to go back to sleep after that and only slept about 20 minutes. But I hit a great drive down 10, made my birdie and thought: 'I feel pretty good.'

"When I made the putt on 13 from about 35 feet, I thought it would be a good day. I haven't made one of those in a while and everything just kind of snowballed after that."

Perez set the tone for the lowest score of his PGA Tour career by picking up shots at three of the first four holes.

Further birdies followed on 15, 17 and 18 as he reached the turn in six-under 30.

Hitting his approach shots with radar-like precision in the gentle desert breezes, he then birdied one, two and four before signing off in style with his three-birdie finish.

"I love playing on the West Coast because I grew up on the West Coast," he added. "I feel comfortable here, it's a great time of the year to be playing and the weather is perfect."

Campbell, who holed out from a greenside bunker to eagle the par-five 13th at Bermuda Dunes, was delighted to maintain his form of last week.

"Unfortunately I wasn't able to win there (at Waialae Country Club) but it definitely gave me a lot of confidence going into this week," the 31-year-old Texan said.

"But you really can't get too overwhelmed with the first round, you've just got to keep it up throughout the week. Five days, it's tough to keep that pace up."

Former world number one David Duval, who became the third player to shoot a 13-under-par 59 on the PGA Tour with his closing round at the 1999 Bob Hope, opened with a 69 at PGA West.

The $5 million Bob Hope Classic is also being played over the new, 7,305-yard Classic Club, the host venue in the four-course rotation.