Perry fires 66 to lead by shot

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) -- Some 20 years after his first PGA tournament, Kenny Perry has figured out the secret to his game.
Perry had a 6-under-par 66 Thursday to go to 14-under and take a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson, Kirk Triplett and Skip Kendall after two rounds of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
The 43-year-old Perry is coming off his best year. He won three times, finished in the top 10 in 11 tournaments, and ranked sixth on the money list with $4.4 million.
The secret?
"I just understand how to play. I understand my golf game. I'm not as rattled as I used to be, and I'm not as angry on the golf course as I used to be," he said.
"I used to always get frustrated trying to make things happen. I'm just letting it happen instead of trying to force it now. You just have to be patient and try not to make the big mistake."
Mickelson, making his season debut after having a forgettable 2003, won the Hope in 2002. He shot a second-round 63 at Indian Wells, considered the easiest of the four courses used for the five-day tournament.
"I'm very pleased with the progress of the first two rounds of the year," said Mickelson, who hasn't won in 18 months. "I feel like I've driven the ball very well, and I feel much more confident from 134 yards in, which last year was a point of dissatisfaction."
Triplett had a 65 and Kendall a 68 to tie Mickelson at 13-under 131.