A month after fearing for his future in the game, Ernie Els found himself in contention for a record fourth victory in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on Friday.
Els missed the cut in the BMW SA Open after suffering another attack of the "yips" in the first round, the 46-year-old's par putt from 18 inches on the ninth not even touching the hole.
The four-time major winner missed two similar putts in the space of a month towards the end of last season and with anchored s trokes banned since January 1, was unable to go back to the ''belly'' putter with which he won the last of his major titles in the 2012 Open.
However, Els was determined that the problem would not mean the end of his stellar career and quickly adapted to a cross-handed putting method which was certainly paying dividends at Emirates Golf Club.
Starting his second round on the back nine after an opening 68, Els birdied the par-five 13th and holed from 15 feet for an eagle on the 18th, the hole where he found the water with his approach on Thursday to drop his only shot of the day.
Els, who has slipped to 205th in the world rankings, also birdied the third and fifth to move to nine under par and into a one-shot lead over England's Chris Wood, who had carded four birdies, an eagle and two bogeys in 14 holes.
Spain's Alvaro Quiros, who won this event in 2011, was a shot further back alongside Danny Willett, Holland's Joost Luiten and BMW PGA Championship winner Byeong Hun An.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who is looking to join Els as the only three-time winners of the final event of the Desert Swing, was among the later starters after an opening 68.
Source: PA
