Ernie Els added a one-under-par 71 to his total on Saturday in the PGA Tour Champions Boeing Classic to move to seven-under-par for the tournament ahead of the final round.
He closed with an eagle after a tough closing nine during which he made four bogeys. Together with four birdies and another bogey on the front nine, his scorecard saw him reach 36 holes in a share of ninth place behind leader Woody Austin who was at 10-under for the tournament. Austin led by one from Jim Furyk and Colin Montgomerie.
It was a hole-out eagle for Els on 18, and it would have come as a relief after a stretch of holes from the 12th during which he made just one par while dropping four shots and making a birdie on the par-four 16th.
Austin birdied the par-five 18th after having three straight birdies on 13 to 15. He has four PGA Tour Champions victories after also winning four PGA Tour titles. Furyk and Montgomerie, playing in the same group, each shot 67.
