Ernie Els eased into a share of fourth place on Friday after a second round of three-under-par 67 in the ISPS Handa Senior Open Championship at Sunningdale Golf Club in England.

Els made five birdies and two bogeys on a day of sunshine as he moved to six-under for the championship. He was two strokes off the lead which was held by Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, who is bidding to become the fifth player to win The Open and the Senior Open.

Els is also making that bid, and he had Thomas Bjorn of Denmark and Korea’s KJ Choi on seven-under in a share of second ahead of him. He shared fourth with Justin Leonard, who made the cut in The Open last week at Royal Portrush, American Cameron Percy and Ricardo Gonzalez of Mexico.

Harrington birdied his last hole for a five-under 65, giving him a one-shot lead as he goes for his second senior major title of the year. Harrington won the US Senior Open Championship at The Broadmoor in Colorado. Defending champion Choi had the lead late in the second round on the Old Course at Sunningdale until he took bogeys on the 16th and 17th.

“Where I should make a score I scored, and then I got in trouble on plenty of other holes,” Harrington said. “Hit some recovery shots and managed my game, but I never showed much confidence out there at all in my swing at all. I obviously like these 72-hole ones, and the bigger golf courses suit me.”

Retief Goosen added a second-round level-par 70 to his total, and, at three-under-par, was in a share of 18th. Darren Fichardt also had a second-round 70, and was in a share of 25th on two-under.

Keith Horne carded a one-under 69 to go into the weekend on one-under in a share of 36th, while James Kingston made the cut on the number at one-over-par with a 70 in the second round.

Adilson Da Silva and Ryan Dreyer missed the cut.