GOLF: American Bob Tway and Stephen Ames of Canada both shot nine-under-par 63s on Wednesday to share the lead after the first round of the $4.5 million Bob Hope Classic. The 90-hole tournament is being played on four par-72 courses - the Bermuda Dunes Country Club, the PGA West Palmer, the Indian Wells Country Club and the La Quinta Country Club.
Tway, the 1986 US PGA champion, recorded seven birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free effort on the PGA West Palmer while Ames reeled off nine birdies at the same course. John Cook and Chris DiMarco were tied for third place on 64, one stroke ahead of Robert Gamez, Dave Stockton Jr, Frank Lickliter II, Shaun Micheel, Jonathan Kaye, David Duval, Matt Gogel and Rod Pampling of Australia.
Ireland's Graeme McDowell, playing the Indian Wells course, is six shots back after shooting a first round score of three-under-par 69 which included five birdies and two bogeys, the first of which came at the opening hole and the second on the 13th. He will play the La Quinta course in the second round.
Before missing the cut at the Phoenix Open last week, Tway had not played since the Buick Challenge in late October.
"I think I had not played for about three months, and even though I practised in the off-season, it still wasn't the same as playing tournaments," Tway told reporters.
Tway started on the back nine and rolled in a five-foot putt for eagle at the par-five 11th. He then made the first of two 25-foot birdie putts at the par-three 12th and added another birdie at the par-five 18th for an outward 32. The 43-year-old, seeking his first tour win since 1995, added five more birdies on his back nine to complete his lowest first round since the Buick Invitational in February 1998.
Ames (38), hit only six of 14 fairways but was accurate with his approach shots and on the green. He hit 15 greens in regulation and totalled just 25 putts. His best finish on the tour came when he was second at last year's Tour Championship.
Cook has started looking towards a future beyond golf, working as an analyst for a weekly cable golf show, but showed he was still competitive. The 45-year-old American opened his campaign at the Indian Wells course and produced an eagle, seven birdies and a bogey.
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES (USA unless stated, par 72): 63 - B Tway, S Ames (Tri); 64 - J Cook, C DiMarco; 65 - R Gamez, D Stockton Jr, F Lickliter II, S Micheel, J Kaye, R Pampling (Aus), D Duval, M Gogel; 66 - M Calcavecchia, E Toledo (Mex), J Leonard, B Burns, D Barron, J Huston, D Forsman; 67 - H Frazar, G Ogilvy (Aus), C Riley, J Durant, M Weir (Can), D Stiles, P Moore, P Jacobsen, T Lehman, JL Lewis, D Love III, C Kresge, P Dietsche; 68 - P-U Johansson (Swe), H Tanaka (Jpn), G Hnatiuk (Can), J Brehaut, O Browne, C Campbell, S Cink, T Fischer, J Haas, JJ Henry, S Jones, S Lowery, J Maggert, T Petrovic, J Sluman, K Triplett, D Waldorf; 69 - J Senden (Aus), G McDowell (Irl), A Cejka (Ger), J Parnevik (Swe), A Baddeley (Aus), C Beckman, F Couples, B Crane, J Daly, G Day, S Flesch, R Freeman, B Gay, D Gossett, D Hammond, D Hart, T Herron, B Jobe, S Kendall, S McRoy, C Pavin, P Perez, T Pernice Jr, K Perry, D Sutherland.
