FORMAT HAS THEM GOING SKINS DIVING $1 MILLION PURSE COULD BE ON LINE AT 18TH.

Byline: Larry Morgan Staff Writer

INDIO - At least the money will be nice. That might have been the only thing that could be said after Saturday's front nine of the 19th Skins Game.

Neither defending champion Colin Montgomerie, Greg Norman, Jesper Parnevik nor Tiger Woods won money, thanks to a format change in which a player who wins a skin on one hole has to validate it by beating or tying the low score on the next.

Last year's rules, in which a player who won a hole claimed that skin, would have left Montgomerie this year's first-day leader with $75,000, Norman and Woods next with $25,000 and three carryovers. But no one was complaining Saturday, especially when the players realized what is at stake in today's back nine at Landmark Golf Club.

The 10th hole, for starters, will be worth $350,000. But the entire $1 million purse, if Saturday's penchant for carryovers was any indication, could be up for grabs on the par-5, 536-yard 18th.

Norman, in fact, said he has a good feeling it will happen.

``I think it will come down to it,'' he said. ``When you have four players of this stature, it's very difficult to win back-to-back holes. I think there's a 70-80 percent chance that coming down 18 it will be for all the marbles.''

The record for the most money won on a Sunday in the Skins Game is $510,000, by Fred Couples in 1999. Montgomerie is second with his $340,000 winnings in a three-hole playoff a year ago. The Skins Game record for the most money won on a single hole is $410,000, by Couples on the 18th hole at Landmark in 1990.

``I think it will be quite interesting to see what happens (today),'' Woods said.

Saturday's play generally was solid, although unspectacular. Woods did reach two of the par-5s in two and had the best score of the day, a 3-under 33 for the front side. But the rest of the foursome did no better than 1-under (Montgomerie).

It was a particularly costly day for the Scotsman, who had a chance to win $175,000 on the par-5 sixth hole, but a poor third shot over the green and into a bush forced him to settle for bogey.

He had won the previous hole, the par-3 third, with an 11-footer for birdie, but he couldn't validate it on the par-5 fourth when he missed a three-footer for birdie that would have tied Parnevik.

``We were talking about that whoever makes birdie on those (par-3) holes would have a big advantage on the next tee,'' Parnevik said.

``It didn't happen though, did it?'' Montgomerie joked with a straight face.

Woods, who won the first hole with a 10-footer for birdie but couldn't validate it on the par-4 second because Norman birdied from three feet, said he likes the format change.

``You have to play well,'' he said. ``There's no fluke involved.''

Woods said he plays under these rules with friends at home in Orlando, Fla., and was asked whether he has had similar games with his good friend Michael Jordan.

`Basketball or golf?'' he said. ``Yes, I've played both against him. But one, there's not as much money on the table and two, there isn't as much elbowing going on.''

Today's back nine will be televised on Channel 7 at 12:30 p.m., not 2:30 p.m. as earlier reported.

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Photo:

Greg Norman pats Colin Montgomerie on the shoulder while Tiger Woods lines up a putt on Saturday.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press