Pebble Beach, Calif. ? Pat Perez made three birdies on the back nine of a golf course he had never seen, giving him a 2-under-par 70 on Saturday and a four-stroke lead in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Perez posted his score at Spyglass Hill, the toughest course in the rotation where he got in only nine holes of practice earlier in the week because of a high fever.

It hardly mattered on yet another sunny, spectacular afternoon on the Monterey Peninsula. Perez finished off a solid round with birdies on his last two holes and was at 201, a nice cushion to have today.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen and former Kansas University golfer Matt Gogel were four behind.

The tournament has not been kind to the leaders the past two years. Davis Love III came from seven strokes behind to close with a 63 and win last year, while Tiger Woods made up seven strokes in his last seven holes in 2000.

“We all know how leads can disappear very quickly,” said Gogel, the victim of Woods’ incredible comeback in 2000. “If he continues to play the way he’s playing, I don’t think it will be a contest.”

The only thing going against Perez is history.

“I can’t protect anything,” Perez said. “With a four-shot lead? That’s nothing. I’m going to try to make all the birdies I can.”

Janzen had a 70 on Poppy Hills, while Gogel turned in a 67 on Spyglass to get to 205.

“Four shots can be made up,” said Janzen, who overcame three straight bogeys early in his round to get back in the hunt. “If anyone knows, it’s Gogel.”

Woods finish with a 71 and was 13 strokes out of the lead.