A four-under-par 68 in the opening round of the PGA Tour Champions Dick’s Sporting Goods Open saw Ernie Els into a share of fourth at the En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott, New York.
Els made six birdies and two bogeys to finish the day two shots off the lead held by Wes Short Jr of the United States. Short had a one-stroke lead over Germany’s Bernhard Langer and American Cameron Beckman, and Els shared fourth with seven other players, including Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain.
Retief Goosen opened with a level-par 72 for a share of 42nd, while David Frost carded a two-over 74 down in 64th.
Part of Els’ success is that he still gets it out there off the tee – he averaged 306.5 yards there – and he putted well with an average of 1.615 putts per hole.
Elsewhere, Garrick Higgo carded a one-under-par 71 in the second round of the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. He reached halfway in a share of 34th on five-under, five strokes behind the leader Joaquin Niemann of Chile. Dylan Frittelli missed the cut.
