Birmingham, Ala. – Ernie Els smashed the final two holes to go 6-under 66 and take a one-stroke lead over Paul Broadhurst on Friday in the second round of Regional Traditions, the first of five major PGA Tour tournaments.
Els Bird bogeyed three of the final four holes, marred by his only bogey on the 16th, to move to a 10-under 134 at Founders Course in Greystone. The World Golf Hall of Famer is seeking his fourth Senior Tour win and second of the year.
A smiling Els cocked his sword with his club after his final shot, the familiar celebration of playing with partner Miguel Angel Jimenez, who was 4 shots back after 68.
“It’s all about managing your game and managing your game on a golf course,” Els said. “I’ve played here a few times and really enjoyed it. Today was a bit light, so I felt if you play your game you can really get aggressive with your iron shots. So I did.
“I didn’t hit a lot of very close shots but I did some good shots and then got the ball up and down for the Birds.”
Defending champion Steve Stricker got two shots back after his second straight 68, tying first-round teammate Timothy O’Neil, who had a 69. Stricker, the Charles Schwab Cup points leader, is chasing the PGA Tour Champions major And the third title of imitation.
Stricker bowled a long birdie at number 16. On the 5th 18th, his second putt hit a carriage path and bounced into a fan, coming to rest in the rough uphill. From there he rose up and down in search of a bird.
“This could have easily swept away from me and gone into the water, so I was just trying to get a good look at myself,” he said. “It was definitely not the right place. But he escaped with a little bird.”
Broadhurst finished his 68th game with a birdie in the 18th.
“Maybe I entered [Thursday’s] “Tour with my confidence at its lowest all season,” he said. “Nothing really happened. It’s been a bit of an effort in the last month or so, I lost my mother-in-law, my dad was in the hospital with injuries, so it’s been a pretty bad four weeks.
“But it was a beautiful first two rounds.”
He was looking forward to joining the Els in the final group on Saturday.
“I’ve known him since he was fifteen or sixteen,” said Broadhurst. “We’ve played amateur golf, junior golf, and way back, so it’s always a privilege to play with him.”
Five players recovered 3 shots back: Jerry Kelly (68), Joe Durant (67), Alex Cegka (68), Padraig Harrington (69) and Robert Carlson, who met Els 66.
It was another frustrating day for two-time world champion Bernhard Langer, who is trying to break a tie with Hill Irwin for 45 Champions League victories for his 12th major title.
The 65-year-old Langer threw a ball into the trees for the second day in a row, this time after a bogey in the fourth over in the sixth, when he also threw his bat to the ground. He shot 72 and was 7 shots out of the lead.
Fellow first-rounder Billy Andrade was clear of bogey through his first 29, but dropped 4 shots on his second nine to shoot 74 and put 7 shots down.