/ 7 February 2004

Els holds big lead at Heineken Classic

Record-breaking Ernie Els appeared on his way to a third consecutive Heineken Classic title after shooting a four-under-par 68 on Saturday to hold an eight-stroke lead after three rounds at Royal Melbourne.

Els flirted with a 59 on Thursday and settled for a career-best 60, then shot 66 on Friday to break the record for the lowest 36-hole score on the European Tour — 18-under 126.

On Saturday, Els came within a shot of his 54-hole European Tour record of 23-under 193 he set last year at Lake Karrinyup in western Australia at the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Els won the Lake Karrinyup tournament with a European record 72-hole total of 29-under 259, a mark within reach if he shoots 65 or better on Sunday. Last year, Els won the season-opening Mercedes Championship in Hawaii by eight strokes, finishing 31-under to break the US PGA Tour record for relation to par.

After three rounds in Melbourne, Els is at 22-under 194. Els’s playing partner Adam Scott and New Zealand’s Gareth Paddison are tied for second at 14-under 202, Scott after a 68 and Paddison after a 67.

Sweden’s Peter Hanson, who shot 66 on Saturday, and Australians Peter Fowler (69) and Peter O’Malley (68), are tied for fourth at 13-under 203.

Els was nearly perfect on Friday, hitting every green in regulation. On Saturday, he wasn’t nearly as sharp, missing fairways and hitting into bunkers on the front nine as he scrapped his way to an outward one-under 35 in gusty conditions.

On the first hole, he missed a six-foot birdie putt. On the second, he hit his approach on the par-five into the right bunker, but chipped out and made birdie to go to 19-under.

On the par-four, 304m fifth Els hit his tee shot into a greenside front bunker with 41m to the flag. Els hit out to three feet and made the putt for birdie to go 20-under and extend his lead to eight shots.

In left rough and with a tree affecting his back-swing on the sixth, Els had to chip out to the fairway. His approach left him a 20-foot putt for par, which he missed to make only his second bogey of the tournament.

On the seventh, Els’s approach was left of the green and just off the fringe. But he made a 20-footer from there for birdie to put him back to 20-under and a seven-shot cushion.

With the wind getting stronger, Els hit his tee shot on the par-three eighth pin-high and about 15 feet to the right, one of the best shots made there all day. But he missed the birdie putt before bogeying the ninth after again hitting his tee shot under trees, his lead again dropping to just six shots.

Scott eagled the par-five 10th to get to within four shots of Els — but only momentarily. Els putted in from off the front of the green a minute later for an eagle to go to 21-under and restore his big lead.

On the par-three 11th, Els’s tee shot rolled past the flag and he made a two-foot birdie to restore a seven-shot lead, the same he held going into the third round. It was his second of three birdies in a row before three consecutive pars.

On 16, his tee shot went into rough on the right of the fairway.

His approach shot to the green was short, his chip went 12 feet past the flag and off the green, from where he made a bogey, his third of the day.

Nick Faldo and Greg Norman each had 70s on Saturday. Faldo is at five-under 211 and Norman at three-under 213. — Sapa-AP