Ernie Els kept himself right in contention on Saturday with a four-under-par 68 in the second round of the PGA Tour Champions Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, New York, taking him to a share of third.
Els started his second round superbly with five birdies in the first seven holes, but he made bogey on the eighth. He regained that shot immediately with a birdie on the ninth to turn in five-under, but he was unable to sustain the scoring tempo on his homeward nine as he made just a single birdie on the 12th, while dropping shots on the 14th and 15th.
Added to his first-round 67, his four-under moved him to nine-under for the tournament and three back from leader Mike Weir of Canada. Weir had a 65 in the second round to take him one clear of Padraig Harrington, who had 67 to go to 11-under. Els shared third with Vijay Singh.
