GOLF: ELS OF A START FOR ERNIE

SOUTH African Ernie Els continued to display mid-season form, blistering the Plantation Course for a seond straight day on route to 17-under-par total and a new 36-hole record at the season-opening Mercedes Championships.

Els posted an eight-under 65, running his string of bogey-free holes to 28 and opening a three-stroke lead on Bob Estes, who shot a second consecutive seven-under-par 66 and is at 14-under-par.

South Korean K.J. Choi is in third place, five shots back at 12- under-par in the opening PGA Tour event of the season.

Els' 17-under-par total eclipsed the old championship record of 16- under-par set by David Duval in 1999.

Duval went on to win the winners' only tournament by nine strokes, the largest winning margin of the event since Gene Littler's 13- stoke victory in 1955.

"I felt like I was going to play well this week, come what may." Els said. "I felt like I was striking the ball well in the practice rounds and was going to have a good week."

Els, the top-ranked player in the field at number three in the world, has shown none of the rust that some players exhibit at this stage of the season. Through 36 holes, Els has recorded 13 birdies and three eagles against a lone double-bogey.

"I was a little bit more aggressive than I was yesterday." Els said after his second round.

"I took a couple more holes on, some of the par-fours."

Estes, by his own admission, did not play as well in the second round and after hitting all 18 greens in the first round, he was a bit erratic on Friday.

Though Estes recorded a second straght 66, the second round was highlighted by a chip-in on the seventh hole, which was a turning point to the round.

After hitting his tee shot on the par-four seventh, Estes initially thought his ball landed in the hazard that lines the right side of the fairway.

But a spectator found his ball and Estes was able to get it close to the green.

"I made about a 60-foot sidewinder that probably would have gone about 15-feet past if it wouldn't have hit the hole." Estes said.

"I could have made six or seven on that hole, ended up making a three.

That was kind of the turning point of the round, but if the winds star blowing here anything can happen.

"Hopefully I can build on this."

Copyright 2003 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.