RUST-PROOF LIETZKE SHOOTS ANOTHER 65.

Byline: Associated Press 

Devoted fisherman, ``soccer pop'' and sometime golfer, Bruce Lietzke doesn't buy into the practice-makes-perfect theory.

Lietzke, who hates to practice his golf shots and had played in just one official PGA event in the last six months, shot his second consecutive 65 Thursday to take a one-shot lead over Andrew Magee in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Asked if he had been practicing a lot, Lietzke chuckled and said, ``Yeah, my hands are bleeding, I've got callouses from practicing so much. Or maybe that's from fishing; my rule is no golf during the offseason.''

Lietzke, 46, has played sparingly in recent years. He competed in just nine events in 1997, the last at Las Vegas on October, and has spent a lot of time with his family.

He caddies for his son, Stephen, 14; helps coach the softball team on which daughter Christine, 12, plays; and ``drives them around to soccer and gymnastics and all that.''

``I found out a long time ago that I could take 11 or 12 weeks off (from the tour) and come back and play good golf,'' Lietzke said. ``And I haven't changed my swing for the past 22 or 23 years.''

That swing has won him 13 tournament titles, including the Hope Classic 17 years ago.

At 14-under through two days this time, Lietzke moved a stroke in front of first-round leader Magee, who had a 4-under-par 68 after opening with a 63.

``You're always concerned when you come back from a round like that,'' Magee said of his 9-under-par the first day. ``I was going to be happy with anything under 70, and I'm very pleased with a 68.''

David Duval, who wrapped up 1997 by winning his last three tournaments, was another shot behind after a second-round 67. Stewart Cink also moved to 12-under with a 67. Fred Couples, the leader at 14-under at one point, slipped back into the pack by bogeying four of his last five holes. His 70 left him four shots behind Lietzke.

Playing at Indian Wells, considered the least difficult of the four courses used for the Hope, Lietzke trimmed five shots off par in a stretch of five holes on his first nine.

Lietzke, beginning the round on No. 10, capped his blitz on par by rolling in a 22-foot putt for an eagle on No. 18, a 501-yard par 5, to go to 12-under. He added two more birdies on his second nine.

Lietzke's first round was at Bermuda Dunes, the second easiest of the four courses used for the 90-hole tournament. Now he must play La Quinta and the Palmer Course at PGA West, the more difficult courses. Sunday's final round will be at Bermuda Dunes, the host course this year.

In 1981, Lietzke led the Hope from start to finish, going 25-under to beat Jerry Pate by two shots. Lietzke won $50,000; the winner's prize for the Hope now is $414,000.

The leaderboard is crowded, with Bob Tway, Blaine McAllister and P.H. Horgan III tied three shots off Lietzke's pace. Another shot behind are Mark O'Meara, Brad Fabel, Scott Gump, Hal Sutton and Couples.

John Cook, a two-time winner of the Hope and the defending champion, shot a 72 and was 13 strokes back of Lietzke.

Fuzzy Zoeller remained in contention with a 69 that left him at 9-under, but John Daly, who opened with a 66, ballooned to a second-round 75.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: (Color) Bruce Lietzke lines up a birdie-putt try on the eighth hole, a putt he missed.

Associated Press

Box: (Color) BOB HOPE CLASSIC LEADERBOARD