Two bogeys in his last three holes on Friday kept Ernie Els on two-under-par for his opening round in the PGA Tour Champions’ The Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
Els, who leads the circuit’s Charles Schwab Cup rankings as the top player with three victories this season, was at three-under when he teed off on the 16th, but a dropped shot there and again on the 18th, with a birdie sandwiched in between those, saw him sigh for an opening 70.
He was four strokes off the lead which was held by KJ Choi of Korea at six-under. Choi led by one from Rod Pampling of Australia and Americans Brett Quigley, David Branshaw and Stewart Cink.
Els’ closest challenger for the Charles Schwab Cup, Stephen Ames of Canada, opened with a level-par 72 and a share of 39th. David Frost was also on level-par, while Retief Goosen opened with a one-under 71 for a share of 25th.
