One Mistake Could Prove Costly for Els

Ernie Els was in control and on top of his game when he stood on the 17th tee Saturday, five strokes ahead of K.J. Choi.

But one bad swing -- and a record round by Choi -- was all it took for Els to go from a runaway in the Mercedes Championships to a shootout he didn’t want.

“I did just about everything right,” Els said after his eight-under-par 65, which tied a 37-year-old record on the PGA Tour.

Els leaned on his bag at the 486-yard 17th, wanting to hit driver but opting instead for the three-wood. He swung too hard and hooked the ball into the hazard, turning away before it landed. That shot led to a double bogey.

“Probably should have stuck to my guns, but we’re all human,” Els said.

Choi birdied the 18th for a course-record 62, and when Els failed to birdie the par-five finishing hole, the five-stroke lead was down to two.

“It makes a bit of a change,” Els said. “In another way, it makes me focus differently. I don’t have to protect. I have to be aggressive.”

Despite the sloppy finish, Els was at 25-under 194 and tied the tour record in relation to par for 54 holes. Gay Brewer was 25 under through three rounds at the 1967 Pensacola Open, a tournament that no longer exists.

Choi made a 10-foot birdie on the 18th to break by one the record previously held by Mike Weir and David Duval. More important, it gave him a fighting chance.

“I thought there was a bit of gap between me and Els,” Choi said. “I just said, ‘Try my best today, try my best tomorrow, and we’ll see where that takes me.’ ”

Els missed a five-foot birdie putt on the final hole, the first time all week he didn’t make at least a birdie on a par-five hole.

And it set the stage for what could be quite a duel today at Kapalua.

Three years ago, Els went toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods in the final round, losing on the second hole of a playoff.

Els and Choi will have two records within reach today. The tournament record is 26-under 266, set by Duval in 1999. The tour record in relation to par is 28 under, set two years ago by Mark Calcavecchia in the Phoenix Open.

Better yet, no one else is in sight. Retief Goosen had a 66, but was only at 201, seven strokes out of the lead.

Choi would have been a long shot to win in his first trip to Kapalua except for Els’ mistakes over the final two holes.

He started to pull away on the 305-yard 14th after hitting his driver left of the green in thick rough, facing a steep bunker and only about 12 feet of green to the flag. Els hit a perfect flop shot that rolled into the cup for an eagle.

It was his fourth eagle of the tournament, after making only six last year.

“I’ve hit it there three times. I should know that shot by now,” he said with a grin as he walked to the 15th tee.

Els followed that with a drive that reached the bottom of the hill on the par-five 15th, measuring close to 400 yards and setting up a routine birdie.

Another big drive on the 16th hole led to a chip that hopped once and stopped six inches from the cup.