Ernie Els ended the first round of the PGA Tour Champions Chubb Classic in Naples, Florida just two strokes off the lead after he carded a five-under-par 67 on the Tiburon Golf Club.
Els had reached the 10th hole at level-par after he had made two birdies and two bogeys, and then he got things going, making birdies on 12, 14, 15, 17 and 18 without dropping another shot as he eased into a share of fourth.
Sharing the lead were Paul Stankowski and Mario Tiziani of the United States after they each carded seven-under-par 65. They led by one from Freddie Jacobson of Sweden, and Els shared fourth with Tom Lehman and Joe Durant of the United States and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke.
The five-time champion in this tournament, Bernhard Langer of Germany, and the defending champion, Stephen Ames of Canada, each opened with a level-par 72.
Stankowski and Tiziani are each seeking their first PGA Tour Champions title, while Els is chasing his second of the season after he won the season-opener in Hawaii and came third last week in Morocco.
