Feb 6, 2005 3 min read

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Last year, Ernie Els took an eight-shot lead into the final round of the Heineken Classic and barely held on for his third straight win at Royal Melbourne. This year, he is trailing heading into Sunday – but he likes his chances.

Els shot a 5-under 66 Saturday and is three strokes behind leader Nick O’Hern of Australia with one round left. Only four men, most recently Tiger Woods at the Buick Invitational from 2000-03, have won the same golf tournament four times in a row.

“The course is in great shape; it is there for the taking,” Els said. “I will be up for it and will have a chance coming down the last nine.”

If he pulls it out, Els would join Woods and these men in winning four tournaments in a row: Tom Morris Jr., at the British Open ending in 1872, Walter Hagen, who won the U.S. PGA Championship from 1924-27, and Gene Sarazen, who won the Miami Open four straight times ending in 1930.

Among female golfers, Karrie Webb won the ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia four straight times ending in 2001, and Laura Davies took the Standard Register Ping tournament in Arizona from 1994-97.

To join that group, Els will have to overtake O’Hern and a packed leaderboard at a relatively tame Royal Melbourne.

O’Hern shot a 63 Saturday, putting him at 14-under 199 to take a one-stroke lead over fellow Australians Jarrod Lyle (66) and Craig Parry (65). Els, starting his round with a birdie and an eagle, was tied for fourth with Australia’s Brett Rumford (66).

Els, O’Hern and Rumford played in the same group, and the threesome shot a combined 18 under. Els, however, bogeyed the sixth for the third straight day and flew his shot into 17 for another bogey.

“We all got on a roll early and had some fun out there,” Els said. “Nick had a good day and made fewer mistakes than I did when it counted.”

O’Hern, who had arthroscopic surgery on his knee at the end of last year, said Thursday was his first 18-hole day in six weeks.

“Usually when you have a bit of a layoff, the short game goes, but I made some putts and never looked like making a bogey,” O’Hern said. “Having Ernie go birdie-eagle at the start sort of inspired us.”

Second-round co-leader Peter Lonard, who had a 70 Saturday, was among four players at 10-under 203, four shots behind O’Hern. Others in the group were England’s Simon Dyson (65) and Steve Webster (66) and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (68).

Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie, coming off a second-place tie last week in Singapore, shot a 72 to drop six strokes back.

Last year, Els’ eight-stroke lead evaporated when he shot a 42 on the front nine. Adam Scott left a birdie putt short on the 18th that would have forced a playoff, allowing Els to win for the third time in a row.

Two years ago, in Els’ second win at Royal Melbourne, the South African came from behind on the final day with a 65. Els was 10 shots behind at the halfway mark that year.

“I’d like to think that If I keep playing well, and stop shooting myself in the foot with some of my mistakes, I’ll have a good shot at it Sunday,” Els said.

“I’m having a good week, playing good golf. I like my chances.”