Ernie Els, who decided to play this weekend only after losing in the first round of the Match Play Championship last week, cruised to a bogey-free 66 Friday to get within two strokes of the lead at the Doral-Ryder Open in Miami.
Five hours after Greg Kraft sank an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 67 that put him at 9-under 135, the wind calmed and Els came charging from the middle of the pack.
“I’ve hit most of the greens in the last two days, so that’s kind of nice,” Els said. “If I keep hitting it like that, I think I’ll be close.”
Kraft, who won the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic when it was an unofficial event but hasn’t come close to winning in five years, was closer than anyone all day. Four of his six birdie putts were inside 5 feet. Kraft will be paired Saturday with Greg Chalmers, who also had a bogey-free 66 and was at 137 with Els.
Nick Faldo missed the cut. Tiger Woods and David Duval are among six of the top seven players in the world who decided to take off a week after the Match Play.
– Des Smyth of Ireland held a one-stroke lead in the Portuguese Open after matching par with a 72 in Friday’s second round at Portimao, Portugal. American Bob May climbed into contention with a 69, which tied him with Fredrik Jacobson of Sweden for second at 139. English teen Justin Rose failed to make the cut for the 15th consecutive tournament.
