It’s a 29 on Back Nine That Puts Els in Lead

Ernie Els played 10 ordinary holes then eight extraordinary ones Friday to take a four-stroke lead in the Johnnie Walker Classic at Perth, Australia.

Els shot a seven-under-par 65 and is 15 under after two rounds as he goes for his fourth victory of the year.

Els made four straight birdies starting at No. 11, then eagled the par-five 15th for the second consecutive day. Els finished his round with another birdie at No. 18. He matched his first-round score of 29 on the back nine.

Australia’s Robert Allenby and England’s Greg Owen were 11 under after both finished with 64s in the morning session. Retief Goosen, the defending champion, was seven under after a 65.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia missed the cut by a stroke, finishing off a 70 with a three-putt bogey on the par-four ninth.

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Argentina’s Vicente Fernandez shot a six-under 66 in the ACE Group Classic at Naples, Fla., giving him the lead after the first round for the first time since the 2000 Royal Caribbean Classic.

Fifteen players are within two shots of Fernandez, including Tom Watson, who shot 68. Defending champion Hale Irwin shot 69.

Jack Nicklaus, playing his first full-field event since the Senior PGA Championship last April, shot a four-over 76.

The 63-year-old Nicklaus triple-bogeyed No. 3, hitting two balls in the water. Nicklaus designed the TwinEagles course with his son, Jack II.