With 66, It’s Els Who Loves the Course at Hilton Head

Ernie Els applied the lessons he learned in the first two days of the MCI Classic, shooting a five-under-par 66 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Steve Lowery.

For two rounds at Hilton Head Island, S.C., Els watched his playing partner, Davis Love III, pick apart Harbour Town’s narrow fairways and tiny greens on the way to the second-round lead. But Els was the third-round master, outdueling Love as the two were paired again.

Love, who has won four times at Harbour Town, fell apart midway through the round with three consecutive bogeys. But he had tap-in birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to finish with a 70 and move within three strokes of Els.

“I think I’ve put the work in and it’s time, I guess, for it to pay off,” said Els, who is at 12-under 201. “I feel like my game’s a lot closer than it seems.”

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Doug Tewell shot a six-under 66 in the second round of the PGA Seniors’ Championship and was the clubhouse leader at 10-under 134 when play was suspended for the sixth time in three days at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Tewell, a former television commentator for The Golf Channel, was four shots ahead of Dana Quigley when play was halted by heavy rain. Ninety-one players were unable to start or finish the second round, including Quigley, who was six under through six holes.

Larry Nelson was five under through seven holes, and Japan’s Seiji Ebihara--the first-round co-leader along with Tewell--dropped to three under after three holes.

Second-round play is scheduled to resume this morning. They will try to finish the second and third rounds today and play the final 18 holes Monday. If only three rounds are completed by Monday, the championship would be decided through 54 holes.

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Defending champion Juli Inkster shot a six-under 66 to increase her lead to three strokes after the third round of the LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge at Lincoln, Calif.

Inkster, playing about 125 miles from her Los Altos home, had a 13-under 203 total on the Twelve Bridges Golf Club course.

Brandie Burton was second after a 68, and Sweden’s Carin Koch was another stroke back after her third consecutive 69.