Els moves up to third in South Africa

Ernie Els was up to joint third place after nine holes of his second round at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa today.

And Els once again got the better of the hole which cost him the title two years ago.

Playing the Leopard Creek course for the first time since his closing triple bogey eight – he was two ahead at the time and lost by one to England’s John Bickerton – Els has so far made two birdies on the 541-yard 18th.

It was his fourth birdie of the back nine this morning, but there were also bogeys on the 13th and 17th as he improved from four under par to six under, two behind fellow South African Ulrich Van den Berg.

After an opening 64 Van den Berg, with memories himself of handing the 2005 championship to Els from four ahead on the final day, was among the later starters on day two, as was second-placed Swede Pelle Edberg.

Els was in a six-way tie for third with Ireland’s Gareth Maybin, England’s Challenge Tour graduate Richard McEvoy, in-form Italian Edoardo Molinari, Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello and another South African, Titch Moore.

Shane Lowry and Damien McGrane were meanwhile among eight players tied for ninth on five under.