By Mark Lamport-Stokes
SAN FRANCISCO, June 16 (Reuters) – Ernie Els was a
frustrated figure as he stood on the sixth tee in Saturday’s
third round at the U.S. Open but he gave himself a chance of
winning a fourth major crown after a dazzling run over the last
12 holes.
After making three early bogeys on the tricky Lake Course at
the Olympic Club, the South African former world number one
reignited his title bid with three birdies and an unexpected
chip-in for eagle at the par-five 17th.
Els, a twice U.S. Open champion in the mid 1990s, whose last
major victory came a decade ago at the British Open, fired a
two-under-par 68 to end a glorious afternoon of sunshine at
two-over 212, three strokes off the lead.
“I’m in a much better mood now than I was on the sixth tee,”
he told reporters. “I just played the first six horribly. I hit
it all over the ballpark.
“If you’re going to play that way, the course can be firm or
soft and you’re not going to score. But I felt if you hit shots
today you had a chance.
“So to come back and play the last 12 holes in five under is
quite amazing, and obviously the shot on 17 is what dreams are
made of, a shot like that in a U.S. Open. So I’m really
pleased.”
Els chipped in from about 50 yards to eagle the 502-yard
17th, the fans crammed into the grandstand behind the green
immediately erupting in roars of excitement.
“I was pin high, which was fine, and the green angles
towards you,” the smooth-swinging South African said of his
shot.
Continued…
