LA QUINTA — If anyone was concerned that the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer had lost its character of tons of birdies punctuated by the occasional eagle, Wednesday's opening round of the 50th annual event had to be comforting.

On perhaps the greatest scoring day in the event's five decades, Pat Perez fired an 11-under 61 on the Palmer Course at PGA West and still managed only a one-shot lead over not one but two other players. Six other players managed to shoot 63 on what Perez called an nearly ideal day for scoring.

“The (winning) number is 30-under,” Perez said. “30-plus. That's the number. So you don't try to get there fast, you try to get there over five days.”

Perez's 61, which included a bogey on the par-3 fifth hole, was just one of the remarkable numbers on the opening day of the $5.1 million event. No less than 92 of the 128 pros in the field broke 70, and only six players failed to match at least par-72.

“It was just no wind anywhere. Greens are in great shape, golf courses are in great shape, you can see every golf course being shot in 10, 11 under, maybe 12 under,” said Bubba Watson, whose 62 on the Palmer Course tied him for second with 2003 Hope winner Mike Weir. “The weather is perfect. You can't ask for better golfing weather for us.”

The scoring was so low and so consistent across the tournament that SilverRock Resort's average of 68.594 per player was the highest average of the four Hope courses. The Nicklaus Private Course, making its debut in the event, produced a 66.719.

Players were so accustomed to the low scoring that Weir described his 62 only as “solid” before amending that comment.

“It was a great round, but I played solidly,” Weir said. “I didn't feel like it was like phenomenal putting or ball striking, it was a combo of everything.”

Among the six players who shot 63, three — Ben Crane, Richard S. Johnson and David Berganio Jr. — played their rounds on the Nicklaus Private Course at PGA West.

“A 61 is nice, but I'm not surprised that there's that many low scores at all,” Perez said.

It was the third time Perez has flirted with the mythical 59 in the tournament, and the second time he came close at the Palmer Course. In 2006, Perez shot 60 in the first round on the Palmer Course. In 2003, Perez shot a second-round 61 at Bermuda Dunes.

“I was thinking 58 for sure,” said Perez, who lamented that he hasn't been able to break 60 in the tournament.

Perez hasn't played in the Hope since that 2006 tournament with the opening 60. He blames that on the Classic Club, the course that was dropped from the rotation this year. Perez shot 73 in windy conditions on Classic Club in the second round of the 2006 event.

“I think that this, the Hope tournament needs to end (at PGA West) on Sunday,” Perez said. “I think this place is phenomenal. I think the rotation this year is awesome.”

Perez started his round on the back nine at the Palmer Course and birdied his first three holes.

“I just got it going, basically,” said Perez, who said he had four kick-in birdies of less than a foot in his round. “Just felt like I could attack every flag and make all the putts. And I did.”

An eagle on the par-5 18th let Perez make the turn at 8-under 28, the same back-nine score David Duval shot during his record 59 on the course in 1999.

Perez added birdies at the second and fourth holes, then bogeyed the par-3 fifth. But he rebounded with birdies on the sixth and eighth holes for the 61.

Perez, who said he's been working hard on his game in the desert at Madison Club in La Quinta much of the last two months, said he's always felt comfortable at PGA West and especially on the back nine.

“It was just one of those nine holes,” he said of the 28. “That's one of my favorite nine holes to play anywhere on tour. So I don't know why, I just love playing that nine.”

Perez, Watson and Weir will all move to the Nicklaus Private Course today in an effort to keep the low scores going in their second round.

“I played there twice. I think it is awesome,” Perez said. “I love the layout of the course. I think the different colors, the way it's edged out, I think it is awesome.”

“I'm excited to play the Nicklaus Course tomorrow,” Weir said. “I played a few holes Sunday and drove around in a cart. I think it's a really neat course. It has some character. What a great members course to play every day.”