Ernie Els bounced back on Saturday in the third round of the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship on the PGA Tour Champions in Phoenix, Arizona with a four-under-par 67 lifting him five places into a share of 27th.
After starting well with a five-under 68, Els had a second-round 73. But he picked up five birdies and a bogey in the third round to be five-under for the tournament ahead of the final round. That puts him 11 strokes behind the leader Jim Furyk, who carded a six-under 65 in the third round. That put him a shot clear of Kirk Triplett, with Stephen Ames of Canada and Australian Steven Alker in a share of third on 14-under.
Els birdied the first and then made par all the way to the ninth, on which he made bogey. He got things going nicely on his homeward nine, with birdies on 10, 12, 13 and 16 putting him a good position to at least maintain his fourth place on the points list. Furyk is currently projected to climb into first from second, supplanting Bernhard Langer at the top.
Retief Goosen was also in a share of 27th after his third round of one-under-par 70. Like Els, he is projected to stay in his current position on the points list in sixth.
