Tway, Ames share Hope lead

LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Golf took a back seat for Bob Tway for three months, as he turned into a "basketball pop."

Tway, polishing some rust off his game after the layoff, eagled his second hole and went on to shoot a 9-under-par 63 Wednesday and share the Bob Hope Classic lead with Stephen Ames.

"That was really the longest time I had ever been home in one stretch," Tway said of the stretch he spent with his wife, 14-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter. "I practiced a little bit, worked out and went skiing a little bit.

"But mainly I saw a lot of basketball practices and basketball games and things we don't get to do as often as we would like. I'm 43 and my kids are at a great age. It was just a fun time to see things that I miss a lot of times."

Tway and Ames were one shot in front of two-time Hope champion John Cook and Chris DiMarco after the opening day of the five-day tournament.

David Duval, playing his first tournament of the year, was in a group another shot back at 65. Defending champion Phil Mickelson had a 70.

Tway struggled his first tournament back, shooting 76-71 and missing the cut at Phoenix last week.

But he was on target with both his irons and his putter during the opening round of the five-day Hope, jump-starting his day by knocking a 5-iron within 5 feet of the hole, then grinning as he walked onto the green before making the eagle putt on the 512-yard par-5 No. 11 at PGA West.

Tway began his round on the back nine and quickly went to 3 under when he rolled in a twisting 25-footer for a birdie on the par-3 No. 12.

A seven-time tour winner looking for his first victory since 1995, Tway made six more birdies during a bogey-free round on a sunny, windless day in the desert when temperatures reached the high 70s.

Ames, who lives in Calgary, Alberta, finished second in the Players Championship last year. He also played PGA West, one of four courses used during the 90-hole tournament, and two-putted from 35 feet on No. 18 to go to 9 under and tie Tway.

Ames also had a bogey-free round.