A third round of level-par 71 on Saturday meant Ernie Els was watching his chance of winning the Charles Schwab Cup ebb away as he reached three-under-par after the third round of the PGA Tour Champions Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, Arizona.

Els, who went into the season finale of the PGA Tour Champions in the lead of the season-long points race, but he is in danger of ceding his position to New Zealand’s Steven Alker. Alker had a brilliant third round of eight-under-par 63, and was projected to overtake Els and relegate the Big Easy to second.

Els started brilliantly with an eagle-three on the first, but he dropped shots on eight, 11 and 15. He made just a solitary birdie, on the ninth.

Up front, the ageless Bernhard Langer of Germany followed his second round of 64 by shooting his age, 67, in the third round to hold on to the lead as he goes in search of what would be another title in 16 consecutive years.

Up ahead of Els was his countryman Retief Goosen, who carded a a three-under-par 68, with five birdies and two bogeys on his card.