The Live Report, Round 1: The 50th Bob Hope Classic

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Pat Perez made 10 birdies, an eagle and one bogey en route to a 11-under 61 in the first round of the Bob Hope Classic.

The 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer is the first tournament of the West Coast swing this season. PGATOUR.COM's The Live Report will provide updates all day long for each of the five rounds, so check back often. (All timestamps listed for Eastern Time.)
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CHECKING IN ON AMATEURS (7:05 p.m.): As the first round of the Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer wraps up with Pat Perez in the lead, here's a look at who's leading on the amateur side.

The trio of Oliver Hudson, Sandi Young and Kurt Russell shares the lead at 19-under with Terry Hackett, Robert DePalma and Gene Muse.

One stroke back is the team of Dan Fouts, Keith Jackson and Dr. Bruce Baumann, along with the team of Jeff Hellman, Daniel Tolhurst and Bill Eckholm. -- Brian Wacker

WATSON ENTERS UNCHARTED TERRITORY (6:38 p.m.): Bubba Watson just recorded the lowest score of his young PGA TOUR career with a 10-under 62 to move within a stroke of leader Pat Perez.

Watson, who led the TOUR in driving distance and was 27th in greens in regulation last year, shot a flawless 31 on the back nine (his first nine of the day) and finished with eight birdies and an eagle.

Watson's previous best round was a 64 in the third round of the 2007 Shell Houston Open. His best score last season, only his third on TOUR, was a 65 twice, most recently in the final round of the BMW Championship. -- Brian Wacker

PEREZ SURGES AHEAD (6:05 p.m.): The birdie barrage continues at the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer. Pat Perez is now the clubhouse leader after an 11-under 61 that featured 10 birdies, six pars, an eagle and one bogey. Meanwhile, Scott McCarron is 10 under through 16 holes.

Back to Perez, he hit it inside of 8 feet seven times today during his assault on the Palmer course. This wasn't even Perez's career round, however. Three years ago he shot a 60 in the opening round. Here's a look at each of his scorecards, starting with the one from Thursday. Below that are the lowest rounds of 2008, plus the longest birdie streaks on TOUR last season. -- Brian Wacker

Scorecard: Pat Perez (2006 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic)

Round 1 - PGA West (Palmer Course)

Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 OUT 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Par 4 5 3 4 3 5 4 4 4 36 4 5 3 4 5 3 4 3 5 36 72 Rnd1 3 4 3 3 3 5 3 3 3 30 3 4 3 3 5 2 4 2 4 30 60 Status -7 -8 -8 -9 -9 -9 -10 -11 -12 -- -1 -2 -2 -3 -3 -4 -4 -5 -6 -- -6 *Started on No. 10

Lowest score of 2008, 18 holes

Score Player Tournament Round 61 (10 under) Mike Weir Deutsche Bank Championship 1 61 (9 under) Roland Thatcher Mayakoba Golf Classic 3 61 (9 under) Carl Pettersson Wyndham Championship 2 61 (9 under) Steve Elkington Valero Texas Open 4 61 (9 under) Charlie Wi Valero Texas Open 4 61 (9 under) Kevin Stadler Frys.com Open 2

Longest birdie streaks of 2008

Streak Player Holes Rd. Course Tournament 6 Shigeki Maruyama 4-9 1 The Classic Club Bob Hope Chrysler Classic 6 Kenny Perry 6-11 4 PGA West (Palmer) Bob Hope Chrysler Classic 6 Stuart Appleby 14-1 1 Torrey Pines (North) Buick Invitational 6 Dudley Hart 3-8 2 PGA National Champion The Honda Classic 6 Aaron Baddeley 3-8 4 Doral WGC-CA Championship 6 Steve Stricker 5-10 4 Doral WGC-CA Championship 6 Kenny Perry 11-16 1 Muirfield Village the Memorial Tournament 6 Charles Warren 12-17 1 Warwick Hills Buick Open 6 Lucas Glover 12-17 4 Warwick Hills Buick Open 6 Kevin Stadler 2-7 2 Grayhawk-Raptor Frys.com Open 6 Kevin Streelman 8-13 1 Magnolia Children's Miracle-Disney

BAIRD STILL SEEKING FIRST WIN (5:42 p.m.): Briny Baird has played in 275 PGA TOUR events since joining the PGA TOUR in 1999. And he's made 188 cuts during that span. But he's never won, joining the likes of Tim Clark, Harrison Frazar and Brett Quigley as long-time TOUR vets who are still seeking that breakthrough victory.

Could this be the week for Baird? His opening-round 9-under 63 at the PGA West-Palmer Private course certainly gives him a nice start. -- Mike McAllister

BETTER MAKE BIRDIES (5:20 p.m.): Imagine a PGA Tour player leaning on his putter on the practice green as the sun begins to descend behind the mountains in Palm Springs. You can hear his side of the conversation that he is having on his cell phone. "Hey honey, how was your day," he might say.

After a pause, he says, "not bad I shot 67," then he chuckles a little and continues, "but that is six shots back and I am tied for 40th."

Welcome to the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer, where the weather is perfect.

For the veterans, this is expected. For the younger guys, this could be a bit of an eye-opener. Either way, you know when you show up in Palm Springs in January you better have your flat stick rolling and be ready to go low. If you are one of those guys who shot in the high 60s on the first day, you know that there are low scores lurking out there for the rest of the week. And if history tells us anything it's that it won't be the same guys shooting the low scores every day. -- John Maginnes

WEIR GRABS CLUBHOUSE LEAD (4:58 p.m.): It didn't take long for someone to pass the cluster of players at 9 under and that someone is Mike Weir, who is in with a 10-under 62.

Weir, who won this event in 2003, took just 24 putts today while hitting 83 percent of his greens.

Here's a look at Weir's scorecard from today.

Meanwhile, it appears Pat Perez's pursuit of 59 just hit a speed bump when he bogeyed the par-3 fifth hole (his 14th hole of the day). That means still just three players have shot a 59 in an officical PGA TOUR event, though it should be noted that David Gossett also shot a 59 here on the Nicklaus course in the fourth round of q-school in 2000. -- Brian Wacker

BAIRD HAS BIG DAY (4:39 p.m.): Briny Baird just grabbed a share of the clubhouse lead at 9 under, though it could be short-lived given the usual birdie barrage going on here.

Baird's lowest round of last year came in the third round of the Wyndham Championship, where he fired a 62. That also happens to be his career-low round, which he has shot three other times -- in the first round of the 2005 Michelin Championship at Las Vegas, the second round of the 2003 FUNAI Classic at Walt Disney World Resort and in the second round of the 2002 Nissan Open.

That makes two players in the clubhouse at 9 under, with a handful of others hovering around the mark as they finish up their rounds. Vaughn Taylor is the other player in at 9 under after a 63 over at Bermuda Dunes.

Meanwhile, the Pat Perez watch continues. He just made another birdie to move to 10-under through his first 13 holes. Track his round here with Shot Tracker. -- Brian Wacker

AMERICAN MADE (3:55 p.m.): If you are trying to predict how the 90-hole marathon that is the Bob Hope Classic is going to play out, here is a hint: Since 1971, only two foreign-born players have taken the title. Those two victories both came in the last 10 years, most recently by Mike Weir, who slipped past Jay Haas in 2003, and by Jesper Parnevik in 2000 when he held off Rory Sabbatini by a shot.

In the 50 years since Arnold Palmer won the inaugural event, less than a handful of foreign players have etched their name on the crystal. With Chad Campbell, Charley Hoffman and D.J. Trahan as the last three winners here it seems likely that once again we should be looking for an American victor. -- John Maginnes

59 IN THE MAKING? (3:35 p.m.): Pat Perez, who had a career-high in earnings last season with nearly $1.8 million, just made the turn on the Palmer Course at PGA West in 28. Perez had six birdies and an eagle on No. 18 (he started on the back).

The eagle on the par-5 18th came when Perez stuck a 208-yard approach shot to seven feet and made the putt.

Perez, who has never won on the PGA TOUR, has two career runner-up finishes (at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the Buick Classic). Last year, he had six top 10 -- a T4 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, a sixth-place finish at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, a T7 at the Frys.com Open, a T8 at the Shell Houston Open and the Valero Texas Open and a T10 at the Turning Stone Resort Championship.

Perez's best round last season was a 63 twice, most recently at the Frys.com Open. His career best round? A 60 at ...the 2006 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. -- Brian Wacker

Check out Perez's scorecard below or follow his round with Shot Tracker by clicking here.

LAIRD CONTINUES TO GO LOW (3:28 p.m.): Martin Laird has strung together four straight birdies on the front nine to move to 7 under on the Palmer Course at PGA West.

His low round was a 63 at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., where he closed with another 63 to finish in a tie for fourth.

And from the you-might-not-know-this category, the 26-year-old Scot who know calls Scottsdale, Ariz., home, he ranked in the top 51 in driving distance (296.3 yards, 31st), greens in regulation (66.46 percent, 44th) and putting average (1.778, 51st). -- Brian Wacker

Here's a look at Laird's card so far today.

SEVE UPDATE (3:15 p.m.): Here's a report from the Associated Press, updating the condition of Seve Ballesteros.

(AP) -- Seve Ballesteros says test results following his first course of chemotherapy are "quite good."

Ballesteros

The 51-year-old Spanish golf great underwent a general health checkup at Madrid's La Paz hospital last week and will begin his second chemotherapy session Friday.

Ballesteros, who won five majors, said his patience was being tested by the long recovery process following four operations to remove a cancerous brain tumor, but that he remained "very motivated" and was "working hard."

DIMARCO REAPPEARS (3:00 p.m.): Chris DiMarco has just four top 10s in the last three years combined after a stretch in which he had 25 top 10s from 2003-05.

Since that three-year run -- one that included a memorable runner-up to Tiger Woods at the Masters and another second-place finish at the PGA Championship -- DiMarco's results have steadily declined, ultimately leading to him finish outside the top 125 on the money list last year for the first time since his second year on the PGA TOUR. Over that period, the former Gator has battled injury (shoulder) and swing issues.

Look a little deeper, however, and you'll notice that the man who once sunk the clinching putt at the Presidents Cup has had success in this event before. In 2003, he finished T4 after opening with a 64. A year earlier, he finished T6 with three 67s and a round of 64.

He showed signs of being on the mend last year, finishing T12 at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational before ending the year with a T19 at the Valero Texas Open and a T10 at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

DiMarco also began working with Rick Smith last August, the week before the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

"From the injury, I had created some bad habits, and I just wasn't turning. I just had some things -- and I couldn't feel it until actually I saw it, and then he [Smith] gave me the feeling. I was able to kind of overcome it," DiMarco said last year. "It's been a gradual -- you know, I played really good at Firestone and then really good at the PGA, then all these weeks off we had I didn't get to play much golf.

"I just finally feel healthy. I really feel like my shoulder is a 100 percent. I don't have any pain, which I've been playing with pain for about a good year and a half, two years now." -- Brian Wacker

LAIRD GRABS EARLY SHARE OF LEAD (2:40 p.m.): Second-year PGA TOUR player Martin Laird has birdied three of his last six holes to move to 5 under through his first 12 holes. He's playing the Palmer course -- the easier of the two courses at PGA West -- but it's no surprise he's doing well in the desert.

Laird, who made 20 of 29 cuts to finish in the top 125 in what was his rookie season last year, posted a season-best T4 at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, where he birdied four straight holes on Sunday en route to a final-round 66. -- Brian Wacker

THREE STRAIGHT FOR DE JONGE (1:45 p.m.): Last year's Nationwide Tour Player of the Year, Brendon de Jonge, has posted three consecutive birdies and is now 4 under as he plays the front nine at the PGA West-Nicklaus course.

De Jonge started off nicely last week at the Sony Open in Hawaii, shooting a 3-under 67, but he followed that with a 75 and missed the cut.

To follow de Jonge's round, click here. -- Mike McAllister

GOOD START FOR WEIR (1:20 p.m.): Former Bob Hope Classic champ Mike Weir is making his 2009 debut this week and he looks pretty fresh out of the gate; he's 3 under through six holes to grab a share of the early lead.

Weir

By the way, with his next TOUR win, Weir will break a tie with George Knudson for most TOUR wins by a Canadian player. Each currently has eight TOUR wins. Knudson won his eight tournaments between 1961-72.

"I don't look back a whole lot," Weir told the Toronto Sun when asked about the mark. "I take what I've learned the last 10 years and try not to dwell too much on what I've done in the past.

"I'm really pushing forward and think I can get a lot better in the future. That's really where my attention is. When Jack (Nicklaus) won the Masters in 1986, he was 46 years old and everyone thought: `Wow, that's old.'

"I know, for myself, I feel like I can play as long as I stay healthy and keep on top of that aspect. I can play and be competitive for a long time. Vijay (Singh) has proven that."

To follow Weir's round, click here. -- Mike McAllister

HOPE AND THE PRESIDENTS (1:10 p.m.): In 1995, the Bob Hope Classic made history when Hope teed it up for the opening round with a foursome that included two former Commanders-in-Chief -- George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford -- as well as then-President Bill Clinton.

Courtesy: World Golf Hall of Fame

What a foursome: Bush, Clinton, Hope and Ford

Said Hope afterward: "Clinton had the best score, Ford the most errors, and Bush the most hits. Me, I cheated better than ever."

Traditionally, the Bob Hope Classic has been held around the same week as the Presidential Inauguration, as was the case this week with the Inauguration of Barack Obama.

The past two winners of the Hope that fell on inauguration years are in the field this year. Justin Leonard won the 2005 Bob Hope the week before George W. Bush was inaugurated for the second time, while Joe Durant won the 2001 Hope two days before Bush was inaugurated for his first term in office.

Tournament host Arnold Palmer's last of five victories at the Hope was two weeks before Richard Nixon was inaugurated for his second term.

In addition to the three Presidents above, two Vice Presidents have also played at the tournament -- Spiro Agnew and Dan Quayle -- as well as former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill. Quayle is playing again this week; he's in Corey Pavin's group today.

Hope, incidentally, is the current focus of a special exhibit at the World Golf Hall of Fame. For more on the exhibit, called "Shanks for the Memory," click here. -- Tracey Cooper

GETTING TO 30 UNDER (12:40 p.m.): Thanks to having an extra round -- and playing on a variety of golf courses in which scoring is generally favorable -- nine different pros have finished the Bob Hope Classic at 30 under or better a total of 11 times, with Phil Mickelson and Mark Calcavecchia having each done it twice.

Unfortunately for Calcavecchia, he failed to win on either occasion. In fact, of those 11 sub-30 under totals, five have not been good enough to claim the trophy and the big check at the end of the five-day event. -- Mike McAllister

WEATHER OUTLOOK (12:25 p.m.): It's expected to be mostly cloudy today with hints of sunshine in the desert. The high will be 80 degrees. Winds will come from the south at 5-10 mph. For more information going into Wednesday's first round of the Bob Hope Classic, check out The Starter.

WHY 90 HOLES? (12:15 p.m.): The Bob Hope Classic has always been a 90-hole event, dating back to its debut in 1965. Tournament officials decided that playing an extra 18 holes would help distinguish it from "The Crosby" in Pebble Beach by making the Desert Classic the longest pro-am tournament in the country.

To help make the the tournament more special, Hope leaned on the pro golfers he had played with so often -- Jimmy Demaret, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Bill Casper, Gary Player and Toney Penna. Commitments were secured from celebrities like Desi Arnaz, Danny Thomas, Rowan and Martin, Jerry Lewis, Andy Williams and Frank Sinatra to help fill the galleries. -- Tracey Cooper

BEST MUSICAL GOLFERS? (11:45 a.m.): Most of the musical celebrities playing this week at the Bob Hope will tee off between 1 p.m and 2 p.m. today. A few months ago, Golf Digest ranked the musicians in terms of their golfing ability. Here is how the musicians playing this week ranked:

PRE-TOURNAMENT NOTES (11:30 a.m.): Fred Couples has an amazing record at the Bob Hope Classic. In his 23 previous starts in the event, he's made the cut 22 times while posting seven Top-10 finishes. He won the tournament in 1998 and is a collective 339-under with 70 rounds in the 60s. ...

Washington/Getty Images

Fred Couples celebrates his win in the desert in 1998.

Justin Leonard was ranked among the Top-10 in the FedExCup standings every week last season and was fifth after week one this year. After not playing last week at the Sony Open in Hawaii, he dropped to 14th place and out of the Top-10 for the first time in more than a year. ...

Donnie Hammond, the 1986 champion of the Bob Hope Classic, will be making his 25th start in the event this week. That's exactly half of all the Hope tournaments played. ...

The Bob Hope Classic was won by Arnold Palmer on five occasions, including the initial desert tournament in 1960. He also claimed his 62nd and final TOUR event at the 1973 tournament. Appropriately enough, this week's event is being called the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer. ...

Several rookies got off to good starts last week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Twelve members of the rookie class made the cut and earned FedExCup points last week led by Webb Simpson, who finished T9. Jeff Klauk, Marc Leishman and Scott Piercy each finished T12. ...

His T2 last week in Hawaii was David Toms' best finish since winning the same event in 2006. ...

There are eight lefties playing the TOUR this year -- Eric Axley, Greg Chalmers, Steve Flesch, Phil Mickelson, Nick O'Hern, Bubba Watson, Mike Weir and Tim Wilkinson. All but Mickelson and O'Hern will be in action this week. ...

While international players have certainly made their mark on the PGA TOUR, not so at the Bob Hope Classic. Of the 49 previous winners of the event, just three -- Bruce Devlin (1970), Jesper Parnevik (2000) and Mike Weir (2003) -- have come from outside the United States. -- Dave Lancer

Groups We're Watching

Tee time Player   11:57 am ET (8:57 am in California) David Toms Toms has clearly said he wants to qualify for the Masters and THE PLAYERS. After his outstanding run last week in Hawaii, it looks promising. Track 'em 12:15 pm ET (9:15 am in California) Heath Slocum One of the TOUR's most consistent players got off to a bad start last week in Hawaii. He'll be looking to rebound at a place that's been kind to him. Track 'em 12:06 pm ET (9:06 am in California) D.J. Trahan Last year's winner here in the desert is off and running in the '09 season. Everyone expects a strong perfomance from the defending champion this week. Track 'em

NOTE: This is a five-round pro-am event, with PGA TOUR players paired with amateur partners for the first four rounds. There will be a cut after the fourth round, and the field will be paired normally for the fifth and final round. The tournament is spread out over four courses. For a complete rundown of the four courses the field will play this week, click here.