While all eyes were on the ’59 watch’ for the lead, Ernie Els carded a four-under-par 68 on Friday in the second round of the PGA Tour Champions Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai Golf Course in Hawaii.
While Steve Stricker burned the edge with a birdie putt on 17, leaving him having to make eagle on 18 for a 59, Els started hot too, with four consecutive birdies from the third hole. But while Stricker didn’t drop any shots, Els made the first of three bogeys on the eight. After turning in three-under, he made birdies on 10, 12 and 14, but dropped on 11 and 13. His 36-hole total of 10-under left him in a share of ninth, five shots behind Stricker.
Retief Goosen and David Frost were in a share of 19th on five-under after each had a second round of one-under-par 71.
Stricker led by two shots from Alex Cjeka of Germany, who had a second round of eight-under 64. Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke was third on 13-under after a 66. There were five players one shot ahead of Els on 11-under: Americans Justin Leonard, Jerry Kelly and Ken Tanigawa, Bernhard Langer of Germany and Canada’s Mike Weir.
