(Photo credit score: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
South Africa’s Ernie Els and Germany’s Alex Cejka share the lead getting into the ultimate spherical of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, however Germany’s Bernhard Langer is in competition to make extra PGA Tour Champions historical past.
Langer, 67, sits two photographs off the lead at 10-under-par 134 after capturing one of the best spherical of the day, a 9-under 63, on Friday at Hualalai Golf Club in Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii.
Els carded a 65 on Friday whereas Cejka posted a 66, leaving them at 12-under 132 within the 54-hole, season-opening occasion. The match encompasses a restricted discipline of 42 gamers.
Langer gained the circuit’s 2024 finale, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, to increase his streak of successful a Champions occasion to 18 straight years. He raised his document whole to 47 Champions victories.
An eagle on the par-5 tenth gap highlighted the spherical for Langer, offsetting his lone bogey of the day on the prior gap. He additionally logged eight birdies.
Els highlighted his bogey-free spherical with three consecutive birdies at Nos. 14-16.
“Obviously hit the ball nicely, kept it in play and gave myself a lot of chances, opportunities,” mentioned Els, who gained three Champions occasions final yr, elevating his profession victory whole on the tour to 6. “And yeah, missed quite a few but obviously made a few. All in all, a very nice solid round of golf. Something I was looking to try and do before (Saturday’s) final round.”
Cejka additionally made his solely bogey of the day at No. 9 whereas producing seven birdies.
“I was actually pretty calm today, surprisingly,” mentioned Cejka, who owns three lifetime Champions wins, the newest in 2023. “I played pretty solid. I think the weather was a little bit softer today with the wind conditions, so it was scorable. The pins were a little bit tricky on some of the holes right in the corners, but you still have to make good shots.”
Justin Leonard (second-round 66), Brett Quigley (68) and Australia’s Rod Pampling (66) are tied for fourth at 9 beneath.
Steve Flesch (65), Ken Tanigawa (66), Jerry Kelly (67), defending champion Steven Alker of New Zealand (66), Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke (68), Canada’s Stephen Ames (70) and first-round co-leader Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain (71) share seventh place at 8 beneath.
The different first-round co-leader, Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez, shot a 73 and is now tied for twentieth at 6 beneath.
–Field Level Media