RECORD PACE BUT ONLY A NARROW LEAD.

Byline: Associated Press 

Mark Calcavecchia has played four rounds about as well as any golfer in history, matching a 72-hole record set by Ben Hogan more than a half-century ago.

Calcavecchia, however, hasn't even won the tournament yet.

With one round remaining in the five-day Bob Hope Chrysler Classic at Indian Wells, Calcavecchia went to 27-under par with a 64 Saturday.

That equaled the 72-hole record against par established by Hogan in winning the 1945 Portland Invitational, and equaled by Mike Souchak in the 1955 Texas Open. Both of those, however, were four-day tournaments.

Although Calcavecchia has torn up the four desert courses used for the Hope, he has just a three-shot lead over John Cook, with Don Pooley another three strokes behind and John Daly and Mark O'Meara at 20-under.

And Calcavecchia will have to shoot another 64 during today's final round to even equal the Hope record: Tom Kite's 35-under total in 1993.

Records aside, Calcavecchia is considerably more interested in winning the tournament.

``I'm not setting a goal to get to 30-under or anything,'' he said. ``I did a good job out there of not thinking too much. I just want to play each hole, try to birdie each hole and not think about my score or what anybody else is doing.

``Hopefully, I'll be calm (today). I'm obviously very confident.''

Kite shot a 62 the final day to set his Hope record, also a tour standard for a 90-hole event.

Calcavecchia, whose ``worst'' round this week was a 67, gave himself a bit of breathing room with his second 8-under-par 64. Cook shot a fourth-round 62, but that was good enough to make up only two strokes on the streaking Calcavecchia.

``There won't be any layups out there (today),'' said Cook, who knows that birdies should again be plentiful.

Pooley had a 65, and Daly, coming back strong from a 73 the second day, and O'Meara each shot 66.

``After shooting a 73, I'm very happy with where I stand now,'' Daly said. ``I've been working on my putting and I'm still not real comfortable, but I've been making some putts.

``You know you're going to score low here, and I wanted to play just to get some confidence.''

Calcavecchia, looking for his first victory since 1995, trimmed three shots off par with a 33 on the front nine at Bermuda Dunes. He finished the round even stronger, with a 31 on the back. He had nine birdies and a lone bogey to hold off the charging Cook.

Calcavecchia, 36, who has won seven tour events in 15 years and was the 1989 British Open champion, predicted earlier that it would take a final score of about 25-under to win the Hope. Saturday's scores made that prediction look way too conservative.

Although he didn't win a title last year, Calcavecchia was consistent, missing the cut just five times in 29 events and finishing in the top 10 six times. He also got some notice for his honesty. Calcavecchia called tour officials on Monday morning after the Texas Open to report that he had signed an incorrect scorecard the previous day. That cost him $10,817 in prize money.

Cook, 39, an eight-time winner in 17 years on the tour, including two victories after reworking his game last year, had 11 birdies and a bogey on the way to a 62 at Indian Wells, where all the golfers who made the cut will play the final round.

Jay Don Blake, in second beginning the fourth round, shot par to drop nine shots off the lead.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Chart

Photo: John Daly, who is seven strokes off the lead, blasts out of the sand at No. 18 at the Hope tournament.

Associated Press

Chart: HOPE CLASSIC LEADERBOARD