Kite Stays Hot at Indian Wells : Golf: An eight-under 64 puts him in a tie for the lead with Steve Elkington after three rounds.

By MAL FLORENCE

Feb. 13, 1993 12 AM PT

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

LA QUINTA — Tom Kite is one of golf’s most renowned players. At 43, an age when many careers are winding down, his is ascending.

Kite shares the third-round lead of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic with Steve Elkington. They are 18 under par for the 90-hole tournament that concludes Sunday.

Kite shot a 64 Friday at Indian Wells for a 54-hole score of 198. Elkington, who had a 63 Thursday at the Palmer course at PGA West, had a 66 at Bermuda Dunes.

Seven players are tied for second, two shots behind the leaders: Fred Couples, Bill Glasson, Payne Stewart, Wayne Levi, Kelly Gibson, Scott Gump and Bob Lohr.

Kite, the U.S. Open champion, said he is in a spell now where he is playing well.

“I don’t want to jinx myself, but I have been on a streak the last year or so, playing some good solid golf.” he said.

“They’re not all great rounds, but I have shot more low scores--64s, 62s, 65s--last year than I’ve probably shot in the 10 years prior to that.

“I don’t have a reason for it. I’m just sitting back and enjoying it.”

When it was suggested to Kite that the game is easy for him now, he said: “I won’t say that. But it’s easier now for me than it has ever been.”

Once again, on a mild day in the desert, the four courses in the rotation--Indian Wells, Bermuda Dunes, the Palmer course and Tamarisk--yielded low scores. The cut today--if you can believe it--is projected at 10 under par.

Asked what promotes low scores here, other than the obvious ideal weather and flat, smooth greens, Elkington said: “The atmosphere is festive. Everyone is in a good mood, the courses are in good condition and you just get in a birdie funk.”

For sure, birdies are commonplace. Kite had eight of those and an eagle, chipping in from 30 feet. He also had two bogeys in his round. Elkington had five birdies, an eagle and a bogey.

“These golf courses are not difficult by today’s standards,” Kite said. “These were courses that were built in the ‘50s. Now the courses we’re playing are so much longer, so much more demanding, so much more penalizing that when we get on golf courses like this, they don’t have the fear factor they used to have.

“The players have gotten so much more used to attacking golf courses. Five years ago, I can remember playing a certain way and now I don’t even think about it.

“You know everybody is trying to make a lot of birdies and it forces you to do that.”

Kite said the players of today are better than in previous years--with some exceptions.

“That’s not to take anything away from a (Ben) Hogan, a (Sam) Snead, or a (Byron) Nelson,” he said, “because if you put them in 1993, they would be great players and they would do what they needed to do.”

Kite said that 18 under par was totally unheard of in previous times.

“When I lost a playoff here to Ed Fiori (in 1982), we set the tournament record at 25 under. We’ll go past that so fast now it isn’t even funny,” he said.

Elkington set the tone for his round with an eagle on the first hole first hole, a par five, at Bermuda Dunes. He hit a three-wood to within 20 feet of the cup and made his putt.

Elkington was one shot off the lead last year after three rounds when he said, “I ran out of gas” with over-par rounds.

Glasson, who shot a 66 at the Palmer course, gets to tournaments by flying his twin-engine plane. He said it’s cheaper than flying commercially.

And he put golf in perspective by comparing it to flying, saying: “When you’re dealing with life and death, three- and four-footers (putts) aren’t a big deal. I know I won’t die on a golf course . . . maybe a pro-am.”

Golf Notes

Mark O’Meara, who shot a 64 at PGA West, must be wondering what it takes to win here. He was a combined 53 under par for 1991 and 1992 and still didn’t win, losing in playoffs both years. Now he is 14 under. . . . Kelly Gibson had a 66 at the Palmer course, but he was disappointed that he didn’t have a lower score. He got a bogey on the 18th hole when his tee shot went into the water. Curtis Strange, the second-round leader, slumped to a 71 at the Palmer course. He’s at 202, four shots behind the leaders. . . . Fuzzy Zoeller had a 29 on his front nine at Indian Wells and finished with a 63. He’s at 208 for 54 holes. . . . Twenty-five players are within five shots of the lead.

BOB HOPE GOLF

LEADERS Tom Kite: 67-67-64--198

Steve Elkington: 69-63-66--198

Bill Glasson: 70-64-66--200

Bob Lohr: 68-66-66--200

Kelly Gibson: 67-67-66--200

Wayne Levi: 68-66-66--200

Scott Gump: 68-65-67--200

Fred Couples: 68-64-68--200

Payne Stewart: 70-66-64--200

OTHERS Lanny Wadkins: 69-66-66--201

Mark O’Meara: 70-68-64--202