Rock solid Els leads CA Championship
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 CA Championship | Round Two | 13 Mar 2010
40 year old Ernie Els is on track to win his first tournament in more than two years after a brilliant second round of 66 in squally conditions at the Doral Resort and Spa left him one shot of the erratic but brilliant Robert Allenby.
Els, the winner of 60 tournaments in his 20 year professional career, put together a superb bogey free round to edge ahead of Allenby whose exploits over the opening two days are well worth recounting.
Yesterday, during his opening round, Allenby raced to eight under through 14 holes and at that point threatened to split the field apart. He stumbled with bogeys over each of his closing four holes to finish with 68 but he had made a great start to the event.
Today the Australian again started quickly with a birdie at his first hole (the par five 10th) but his coup de grace would come at the lengthy par three 13th where he holed a three wood from 236 yards. He birdied the following hole and by then he was at 4 under for the day and at 8 under for the tournament he was vying for the lead with Els.
Allenby would go onto record another eagle at the par five 1st when he holed a 20 foot putt to join Els in the lead but there would be three more birdies and three bogeys in his closing eight holes for a round of 67. In all Allenby has recorded 3 eagles, twelve birdies, seven bogeys and one double bogey in his opening 36 holes, a stunning display in the conditions.
Bill Haas and first round leader Charl Schwartzel are two shots behind Allenby and three from the lead at 7 under par, Haas producing the equal best round of the day with Els, Mike Weir and Peter Hanson, a six under par 66.
John Senden is the next best Australian at 5 under and in a share of 7th, while World golf Championship débutante Alistair Presnell has begun well to be at 2 under and in 22nd position in the elite 68 player field.
Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott are 31st at 1 under.
