BRO PROS BREAK MOLD.

Byline: Kevin Modesti

Somewhere out there, or up there, if they paid attention to the first round of the Nissan Open, the Hebert brothers are shaking in their spikes.

The Heberts, Lionel and the late Jay, both of Louisiana, are the closest thing to a great brother act in professional golf history. Lionel won the PGA Championship in 1957 and Jay won the same major tournament in 1960.

Beyond that, you'd have to be a pretty keen golf fan of a certain age to know much about them. Which is the point.

When it comes to golfing brothers, there's no Dizzy and Paul Dean, no Joe, Dom and Vince DiMaggio. Not even a John and Patrick McEnroe, a Merlin and Phil Olsen. None of the immortals of the fairways had even a hapless sibling.

So there's room at the top when it comes to golfing brothers. And Thursday morning, a pair of pairs tore into sunny-though-soggy Riviera Country Club as if they mean to get there.

Playing in the same three-man group, David Sutherland shot a 4-under-par 67, tumbling out of the early lead after a double-bogey on the 18th hole, and older brother Kevin Sutherland turned in a steady 71. David will begin today's round in a tie for seventh place, Kevin in a tie for 68th.

Barely an hour later, the Sutherlands were upstaged, as Robin Freeman finished completed 65 and younger brother Jeff Freeman nearly matched him with a 66. The Freemans are in second and third place behind leader J.P. Hayes (64).

Sibling rivalry, perhaps?

``There isn't much of a rivalry because I always beat him,'' said Robin, who's 40, seeking his first PGA Tour victory. ``You gotta get beat once in a while for there to be a rivalry.''

``You wanta hear my version now?'' said Jeff, who's 37, a goateed club pro from Tamarisk Country Club in Rancho Mirage who is trying to earn his PGA Tour card after winning the 1999 national club-pro championship and Southern California PGA Championship.

Jeff wound up agreeing there really isn't much of a rivalry. As much as he'd like to start one.

Palm Desert residents, the Freemans are seeing more of each other on tour this year as Jeff plays the nine events his club-pro successes get him into. At the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in January, they were paired together on Sunday, Robin shooting a 69 to finish tied for 51st, Jeff a 70 to tie for 61st.

The novelty of competing with a brother is beginning to wear off.

``It's just another guy once you're out there,'' Robin said. ``You're so into getting your job done. You pull for the each other, but it's not like you're living and dying with each shot. Once the bell goes off, it's `screw you.' ''

The novelty wore off a long time ago for the Sutherlands, Sacramento natives and Fresno State grads who have been on tour together for five years without winning.

David, 33, the younger brother by two years, figures he and Kevin have played a thousand rounds together since they were introduced to golf by their father Bill.

``It's just not that big a deal anymore,'' David said.

It's possible it wouldn't have been a big deal to anybody if the Sutherlands hadn't landed in the same group for the first two rounds here after playing together in the first two rounds of the Buick Open last week in La Jolla (where Kevin tied for fifth and David tied for 14th).

The groupings are assigned by a computer after players are divided into three categories. Tournament winners play together; non-winning veterans like the Sutherlands play together; rookies and qualifiers play together.

It's a random draw after that. ``Supposedly,'' Kevin Sutherland said. ``Some people think the computer is in a rut.''

The Sutherlands are the only brothers on the tour with full qualifying exemptions. They and the Freemans aren't the only brothers playing professionally, though.

There's Danny and David Edwards, Curt and Tom Byrum, Larry and Lee Rinker, Lanny and Bobby Wadkins, Dave and Mike Hill, Jim Jr. and Jeff Gallagher (whose sister Gallagher-Smith is an LPGA member).

Not an Alou family in the bunch. But there's still a lot of golf to be played.

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Photo: David Sutherland accepts the bad news, his scorecard, after a double-bogey on the 18th hole. He shot a 4-under-par 67.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer