PGA Tour Champions: Kaulig Companies Championship; Ernie Els talks about how his 3rd Round play got him into contention for Sunday

By Jocko Connelly

Ernie Els in 3rd Round of Kaulig Companies Championship, all smiles, 7 13 2024 (courtesy IMAGN, photo by Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal via USA Today Sports Syndication)

 

Audio Player

Ernie Els PGA Champions Tour 2nd in 3rd Round Kaulig Companies Championship July 13, 2024.mp3

 

2024 Kaulig Companies Championship
Third-Round Notes
Saturday, July 13, 2024
Firestone Country Club (South Course) | Akron, Ohio
16th of 28 PGA TOUR Champions events in the 2024 Season

 

Course Setup: Par 70 / 7,102 yards
• Round 3 Scoring Average: 70.650
• Cumulative Scoring Average: 71.274
• Weather: Partly cloudy with temps in the high-80s and winds WNW at 5-10 mph

 

Player To Par Scores

1 Steve Stricker -9 66-68-67 – 201
T2 Ernie Els -8 70-68-64 – 202
T2 Robert Karlsson -8 70-66-66 – 202
T4 Michael Wright -6 70-71-63 – 204
T4 Jerry Kelly -6 71-66-67 – 204
T4 K.J. Choi -6 69-68-67 – 204

 

Things to Know
• Looking to win the Kaulig Companies Championship for the third time in four years, Steve Stricker chipped in
twice over his final five holes to take a one-stroke lead into the final round.
• World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els, looking to become the first three-time winner of the 2024 season,
and Robert Karlsson, seeking his first win on PGA TOUR Champions, each sit one stroke behind Stricker.

 

Ernie Els, 70-68-64 – 202 (-8)
• Matched his low 18-hole score of the 2024 season (40th round)
o Previous instances: KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship (2nd Round); American Family Insurance
Championship (2nd Round)
• The 54-year-old seeks his sixth win on PGA TOUR Champions (94th start)
• Seeks his third win of the 2024 season (13th start)
o Previous wins: Principal Charity Classic; American Family Insurance Championship
o With a win, he would become the first three-time winner of the 2024 season on PGA TOUR Champions
o Entered the week No. 3 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings
• Making his fifth appearance at the Kaulig Companies Championship, he has finished T5 (2020), 5th (2021), T3
(2022), T3 (2023)
• Seeks his first major title on PGA TOUR Champions
o Best finish in a senior major: T2 (2023 Regions Tradition)
• Has top-10 finishes in each of the first three senior majors of the 2024 season
o T3 (Regions Tradition); T6 (KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship); T8 (U.S. Senior Open)
• Will play in the last group of the final round for the sixth time this season
o Is 2-for-5 converting those into victories

 

COURTESY PGA TOUR COMMUNICATIONS