CIFIC LISADES, Calif. Ted Tryba joined David Duval and Tiger Woods with a record of his own, shooting a 61 at storied Riviera Country Club to vault into the Nissan Open lead.

Tryba, continuing this year's run of low scores, had nine birdies and an eagle on his way to a 10-under-par round today that bettered the course record by one stroke.

He was at 13-under 200, two shots in front of the imposing trio of Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Davis Love III, with other big names not far behind.

Tryba, who bogeyed the final hole by muffing his chip from the fringe and missing a 12-foot par putt, obviously putted well for most of his record round, including dropping a 30-footer for eagle on No. 11.

"It seems that even on the toughest courses, guys are unconscious," Tryba said of the trend this year. "I've never seen scores like this. It just shows you how good these guys are.

"The precedent is set; you may have to shoot 10-under to win."

Woods, in his victory at San Diego last weekend, set a Torrey Pines record last with a third-round 62.

Last month in the Bob Hope, Duval shot 59, the PGA Tour's lowest final round ever and matching the lowest 18-hole score, to win the event. Duval also set a Mercedes Championships record when he won at 26-under-par in January.

"I don't know what they've been doing in the offseason, but they are just coming out and firing," said Els, a native of South Africa who has won the U.S. Open twice.

"Riviera is one of the classic, toughest courses in the world. Guys are just playing on a different level right now."

Els had a 68, as did Love, who won the 1997 PGA Championship and holds 12 other titles.

Woods, who shot 62-65 the final two rounds to win at San Diego, was clicking again with a 65 that was his lowest score ever at Riviera.

"It used to be that you could shoot one or two over one day and be able to come back with a 66," Woods said. "You can't do that any more. You know somebody's going to shoot a very low score, and you've got to keep up."

Duval, who has won nine of his last 30 PGA Tour tournaments, pulled within four shots of the lead with a third-round 67. He had fallen back in the pack with a second-round 71.

Jerry Kelly, a 32-year-old looking for his first win, shot 67 to tie Duval at 9-under.

Nick Price, with a 67, was five shots off the lead. Among the others at 205 were Bob Estes, who held a one-shot lead after two rounds but shot a 72; and defending champion Billy Mayfair, quietly but efficiently plugging away all week. Mayfair shot 69.

Tryba found himself on the flip side of a familiar situation. He led after two rounds at San Diego only to see Woods take charge with his record round. Tryba, meanwhile, was having trouble with a sore back and struggled the last two days, shooting 74 both days to finish tied for 21st.

Riviera, a stately course revered by such all-time greats as Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and Sam Snead in their heydays and Ben Crenshaw and Fred Couples, among others, in recent years, plays to par 71 over 6,953 yards.

Three players had shot 62 at Riviera -- Kenny Perry in 1995, Couples in 1990, and Larry Mize in 1985. Of that trio, only Couples wound up winning the tournament.

Tryba only tied the tournament record: George Archer shot 61 when the event was played at Rancho Park Country Club in 1983.

DIVOTS: Qualifier Alan Bratton, who was tied just one stroke behind Estes at the tournament midpoint, came back to earth with a third-round 74 that left him back in the pack at 5-under. ... Riviera, built in 1927 and historically the course of choice of film stars, also served as shooting location. The clubhouse was used in the Spanish Civil War movie "Blockade," in 1938, and the fairways for countryside in "Forever Amber" in 1947 and later for ``The Caddy'' with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.