Hot Finish by Gamez (60) Almost as Good as It Gets

After he played the last 11 holes in 10 under par, shot a 27 coming in and wound up with a 12-under 60 Friday at Indian Wells Country Club, Robert Gamez wasted no time assessing his round.

“Just one of those days,” he said.

Well, he has never had one like it before. Gamez has been at 61 twice, the last time in the final round of the 2001 Hope, but this is his first visit to 60. He thought about his chance for a 59 after he eagled the 517-yard fifth, his 14th hole, but really had only one chance at it.

“I was nervous,” he said. “I was definitely nervous.”

At the par-three sixth, Gamez missed an 18-footer for birdie. He also two-putted from 60 feet from the fringe to birdie the par-five eighth, his 17th hole.

Gamez had 10 birdies and an eagle, a marked contrast from the first two rounds when he had seven bogeys. At 15 under, he trails leader Phil Mickelson by five shots.

He said he couldn’t think of one putt he’d like to try again, not even the 18-footer at No. 6.

“I actually hit a pretty good putt there,” he said. “It just kind of bounced on me. I fixed some pitch marks and didn’t fix them well enough because it bounced on me and I missed it. It was a pretty good stroke.”

Gamez said he pushed a 10-foot putt at the par-three 15th, his sixth hole. He also saved par at the 17th, his eighth hole, after he hit his drive left and it caromed off a tree, then missed the green.

He said something clicked on the driving range.

“I only hit one bad drive and that was on 17,” he said.

“You know what, we had perfect weather, all the courses here are in shape, this golf course, yeah, it’s short, but you still have to make the putts.

“I knew I had to have a good round today.”

There have been nine 61s shot in the history of the Hope. The tournament record and PGA Tour record is 59, last shot by David Duval at the Palmer Course on the last day when he won the 1999 Hope. Al Geiberger shot a 59 in 1977 at the Memphis Classic and Chip Beck shot a 59 at Las Vegas in 1991.

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-- Thomas Bonk