LA QUINTA — Another day, another PGA Tour record for Pat Perez and another 18 holes of having the field nipping at his heels.

After scorching the first 36 holes of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer, Perez settled down to a merely mortal 5-under 67 at SilverRock Resort on Friday. While the combined score of 25-under 191 ties a PGA Tour record for 54-hole scoring against par, Perez still finds himself with a scant two-shot lead over a charging Steve Stricker.

Stricker fired the lowest round of his PGA Tour career, an 11-under 61 on the Palmer Course at PGA West on the tournament's third consecutive day of ideal scoring weather and conditions. The 61 was one of two recorded in the third round (Charlie Wi set a course record with a 61 at the Nicklaus Private Course at PGA West) and the third of the week, including Perez's 61 on the Palmer Course on Wednesday. Four other players have shot 62 in the first three rounds.

Perez's pace remains so hot that Stricker's 23-under total ties the Hope's three-day record set in 2001 by Joe Durant and Joe Ogilvie in 2005, but Stricker is still two shots behind.

Perez and other players throughout the week had warned that every golfer will have a slow stretch of holes, and for Perez that came with a pedestrian 1-under for his opening nine holes Friday.

“In 90 holes you are going to go through a stretch like that, and it's just you're not going to be hot,” Perez said. “So I figured that 1-under felt like 2-over.”

The heat returned for Perez on his final nine holes.

“I hit it great all day and it was a little better for me on the (final nine),” Perez said. “But I wasn't really comfortable on (the opening nine).

Stricker said he knew he could get back in the tournament because the low scoring for the first two days was at the PGA West courses that he was set to play Friday and today.

“I had to play Bermuda Dunes and SilverRock, and knowing that I was coming out here, I felt like I had an opportunity to put up a good number, and I felt like I needed to try to get back in contention,” Stricker said. “I wasn't thinking 11 under, but I was thinking about putting up a good solid 8-, 9-under round and fortunately I was able to get back in there.”

Also in the hunt is Vaughn Taylor, whose 64 at the Palmer Course puts him at third at 22-under. Four players, including 2002 Hope runner-up David Berganio Jr., are tied for fourth at 21-under heading to the fourth round.

By the time Perez turned to the front nine, he had lost his lead to Tom Pernice Jr., who had reached 22-under at Bermuda Dunes. Pernice eventually fell back, but Perez, Stricker and Taylor all had at least a share of the lead in the afternoon.

Perez started the SilverRock front nine with four birdies in his first five holes. But a bogey at the sixth hole, just his second bogey in 54 holes, slowed his momentum. He birdied the par-5 seventh and parred the last two holes to finish at 25 under.

That's the same number in relation to par Ernie Els shot in the 2003 Mercedes Championship after three rounds to set the tour record.

While it is not an official PGA Tour stat, Tour officials believe 25 under is the all-time PGA tournament record for 54-hole scoring.

But those kinds of numbers aren't what Perez is looking at now. He's just interested in getting to Sunday with the lead.

“I'm just going to try to go as low as I can and make a lot of putts,” Perez said. “I'm not going to worry about a number. If I play great and I come up short, I come up short. But I'm not going to worry about a number or anything the other guys are doing.”

Stricker agreed.

“For the most part you put your foot on the pedal and try to make as many birdies and you can,” Stricker said. “You know guys are going to do that, they're going to keep making birdies.”