Pat Perez shot a 12-under 60 in the opening round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic yesterday in Palm Desert, Calif., joining some elite company.
Perez became only the 20th player in PGA Tour history to shoot 60 or lower. The record is 59, shared by David Duval, Chip Beck and Al Geiberger.
Consistently nestling his fairway shots close to the pin, Perez made 12 birdies and no bogeys over the 6,930-yard Arnold Palmer Course at PGA West for a three-shot lead over Chad Campbell.
Perez, 29, joined the tour in 2002 and is still looking for his first win.
"I know it's hard to say, but I left two par-5s with easy shots, right in the middle of the fairway and two-putted there," he said. "I missed about an 8-footer on 3. But other than that, it was a great day."
The first four rounds of the 90-hole tournament are a pro-am, with the players alternating among four courses.
Football
* Eddie Brown edged Barry Wagner as the top votegetter as the Arena Football League chose its 20 top players, to celebrate the league's 20th anniversary. Brown, a two-time league MVP, played his entire career with the Firebirds, from 1994-2000 in Albany, N.Y., and in Indiana in 2001.
* A judge threw out charges against six Tennessee-Chattanooga players accused of gang-raping a female student.
* Fresno State coach Pat Hill agreed to a contract extension through 2010 after interviewing for NFL head-coaching positions.
Soccer
* Issa Hayatou, Africa's top soccer official, wants Europe to do more to combat racism.
* Kristine Lilly scored the opening goal in her world-record 300th international game, leading the United States past Norway, 3-1, at the Four Nations tournament in Guangzhou, China.
Sport Stops
* The IOC would welcome a U.S. bid for the 2016 Summer Games - provided the government doesn't try to bar any nations as it has with Cuba at the World Baseball Classic, president Jacques Rogge said. *
