Els falters in pursuit of leaders BreakingNews.ie_13519

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Ernie Els was today battling to keep hold of his Open title in the final round at Royal St George’s.
Els began the day six shots off the lead but still hopeful of becoming the first man since Tom Watson in 1983 to retain the Claret Jug.
The world number two needed to improve on his second round of 68 to realistically be in with a shout,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, with so many of the world’s top players standing between him and a fourth major title.
The 33-year-old got off to a poor start however, three-putting the first hole for a bogey five that dropped him back to six over par.
Outside birdie chances came and went at the next two holes before the double US Open champion,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, already with five wins to his name this season, birdied the fourth to get back to level par for the day.
That was still six adrift of leader Thomas Bjorn who was due out at 2:20pm with nearest challenger Davis Love.
Bjorn was the only player in red figures on one under par,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, with Love on level par and a five-strong group on one over par including Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Sergio Garcia.
Woods was gunning for his ninth major title but his first when coming from behind on the final day.
Garcia,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, of course, was chasing a first victory which had looked on the cards ever since he finished second to Woods in thrilling fashion in the USPGA championship in 1999.
Singh’s target was a third major title and also the third leg of a career grand slam.
Victory would leave the Fijian needing only to win the US Open to have won all four major titles.
The biggest move up the leaderboard was coming from Londoner Brian Davis who had picked up three shots in his first five holes.
Davis, who started eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie on his US Open debut last month in Chicago, birdied the second and fourth and then holed a 40-footer across the fifth green to move to two over par and within three of the lead.
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