Ernie Els hung on inside the top 10 on Saturday with a two-under-par 69 in the third round of the PGA Tour Champions season finale, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club in Phoenix, Arizona.
Els made four birdies and two bogeys to move to 11-under-par for the tournament and a share of fifth heading into the final round. There will be a lot of work to be done if he is to catch the leader, Steven Alker of New Zealand, from six shots back. Alker had a third round of six-under 65 to move to 17-under, four clear of Alex Cejka of Germany.
Els made an early bogey on each nine, and on both occasions, followed it with two birdies to keep himself projected to stay fifth in the season-long rankings on the PGA Tour Champions.
Retief Goosen had a three-under 68 in the third round, moving to nine-under and a share of 11th. He is projected to climb inside the top 30 in the rankings, at 27th.
