Canada’s Stephen Ames birdied the 18th gap on Friday to tug right into a tie for first place going into the ultimate spherical of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii.
Ames shot a 6-under-par 66 at Hualalai Golf Club, leaving him at 12-under 132 by means of two rounds. He is degree with first-round chief Ernie Els of South Africa, who shot a 68 on Friday, and Fiji’s Vijay Singh, who carded a second-round 67.
Jim Furyk (second-round 66), Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez (66), Brett Quigley (66), New Zealand’s Steven Alker (67) and South Africa’s Retief Goosen (67) are tied for fourth at 11 beneath. Shane Bertsch (67) and David Toms (68) share ninth place at 9 beneath.
The PGA Tour Champions’ season-opening occasion has a restricted area of 42 gamers.
Ames, 57, earned his second profession Champions win final June on the Principal Charity Classic. His action-packed Friday spherical included an eagle on the par-5 fourth gap, six birdies and two bogeys.
Singh, 58, made his lone bogey on par-3 fifth gap, however that was surrounded by birdies on the fourth, sixth and seventh holes. His again 9 featured three birdies.
Els, 52, added to his lead by logging three consecutive birdies on Nos. 2, 3 and 4, however he gave again two of these strokes with a double bogey at No. 5. He produced three birdies and 10 pars over his last 13 holes.
“I had an excellent start, I was 3 under, then I made a really bad error in judgment on the par 3,” Els stated. “I hit it within the water, made double bogey. That actually set me again as a result of I used to be actually in an important rhythm. Then it was sort of a battle, however I hit some actually good pictures, I simply could not get the putts within the gap.
“It was just one of those kind of days, but I lost a lot of momentum with that tee shot on the fifth, but I thought I hung in well.”
Reigning Charles Schwab Cup champion Bernhard Langer, 64, managed only a 71 on Friday, leaving him tied for thirteenth at 7 beneath.
–Field Level Media