Love Is Out-Hit, but Not Outscored : Golf: In a group with Daly, he shoots 63 for a two-round total of 130, good enough for a four-shot lead at Riviera.

By MAL FLORENCE

Feb. 29, 1992 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Davis Love III once was regarded as the longest hitter on the tour. That distinction now belongs to John Daly.

Love played with Daly on Friday in the second round of the Nissan Los Angeles Open at the Riviera Country Club.

“I’m not in his category as far as length,” Love conceded. “Nobody is.”

Love, however, is in a more significant category. He shot an eight-under-par 63 for a 36-hole total of 130--12 under and a tournament record--and has a four-stroke lead over Tom Sieckmann and Britain’s Sandy Lyle.

Love’s rounds of 67-63 broke the 36-hole record of 131 set by Michael Allen in 1990.

Daly didn’t fare as well, shooting a 70 for a 36-hole score of 138.

Wayne Levi, the first-day leader with a 64, shot a 73 and is seven shots behind Love.

Tiger Woods, the 16-year-old playing in his first PGA Tour event, didn’t make the cut. He shot a 75 for a 36-hole total of 147.

“It was a learning experience and I learned that I’m not that good,” Woods said.

Love was still not satisfied. “I felt I was on the verge of playing well,” he said. “I’ve made a ton of birdies the last two days.”

Love had seven birdies Thursday and 10 Friday--along with two bogeys.

“I hit the ball so well that I couldn’t help but shoot a good score,” Love said.

He said he was disappointed Thursday when he had seven birdies but was only four under par for his round. Love started fast on Friday, with a 30 on the front nine.

Love, 27, is still long off the tee, averaging 272.4 yards last year to rank 17th on the tour. Daly was the leader at 288.9 yards.

“I’m not concerned how far (his drives) are going. I just want to win tournaments,” Love said. “I’m paying more attention to hitting fairways rather than hitting it far.”

However, when he came on the tour in 1987, he was seemingly more concerned with distance.

Daly usually attracts large galleries, and such was the case Friday.

“It’s amazing how many people come out to watch,” Love said.

Love’s round included a 30-foot chip shot for a birdie on the par-three, 238-yard fourth hole.

He also finished with a flourish, with a birdie at the par-four, 447-yard 18th after hitting an eight-iron to within six feet of the cup.

Lyle, 34, who won 1985 British Open and the 1987 Masters before going into a lengthy slump, is seemingly back on his game.

It all began to turn sour for Lyle after he finished second to Mark Calcavecchia in the 1989 Los Angeles Open. Lyle had a two-stroke lead going into the final round and lost by one shot. He virtually disappeared as a factor in international golf after that.

“In the last two or three years I haven’t played anywhere near what I can do,” he said. “In 1988 and 1989 I played golf all over the world and it got to me. I lost the urge to fight. Your confidence and game goes down. It’s hard to get going again.

“It has been the hardest couple of years I’ve had in a long, long time.”

Lyle shot a 67 (134) with five birdies and a bogey Friday.

“I’m playing better now than when I won the Masters, so watch out,” he said.

Lyle is concentrating so intently on his game that when he was asked if he knew anything about Tiger Woods, he said: “Is that a golf course?”

He wasn’t joking.

Lyle said that David Leadbetter, a famous teaching pro, has been rebuilding Lyle’s swing--and confidence.

“Confidence-wise, I’m about eight or nine on a scale of 10,” he said. “I’m hitting the ball better than I did in 1989.”

Golf Notes

Fred Couples, who won the Los Angeles Open in 1990, shot a 67 and is tied with Rocco Mediate at 135. Couples said he is lucky to be in the position he is in because his iron play has been mediocre. However, his driving and putting have kept him in contention. “Riviera is one of my favorite courses,” the 1991 PGA Tour player of the year said. “It’s fun to listen to the crowd. It can make you play better.”

The cut was 141, with 79 players advancing to the final two rounds. Ted Schulz, the defending champion, didn’t make it, shooting 71-75--146. Neither did Lanny Wadkins (143), a two-time former champion here, and Peter Jacobsen (144). . . . Ed Dougherty got the tournament’s third hole in one with a six-iron on the par-three, 161-yard 16th hole.

Scores: 36-hole totals at Riviera Country Club--Par 71

LEADERS Davis Love III: 67-63--130 Tom Sieckmann: 66-68--134 Sandy Lyle: 67-67--134 Fred Couples: 68-67--135 Rocco Mediate: 67-68--135 Bob Estes: 68-68--136 Chris Tucker: 65-71--136 Doug Martin: 68-68--136 Keith Clearwater: 65-71--136 Jay Haas: 67-69--136 Doug Tewell: 65-72--137 Tom Weiskopf: 67-70--137 Wayne Levi: 64-73--137 Dave Peege: 71-66--137 John Cook: 67-70--137 Scott Simpson: 70-67--137

OTHERS Chip Beck: 69-69--138 John Daly: 68-70--138 Tom Kite: 68-70--138 Mark Calcavecchia: 69-71--140 Craig Stadler: 69-71--140 Ben Crenshaw: 71-70--141 * Hale Irwin: 73-70--143 * Ted Schulz: 71-75--146 * Tiger Woods: 72-75--147 * Did not qualify