THOMASTOWN, Ireland - His post-majors funk behind him, Ernie Els was back in his element Friday.
Playing some of his best golf in the worst conditions, Els breezed through a wacky day of weather at the American Express Championship. He started with four birdies and finished at 8-under 64 for a two-shot lead.
Els was at 11-under 133. Right behind him was a familiar foe.
No, not Tiger Woods.
British Open champion Todd Hamilton, who went head-to-head with Els during the final 40 holes at Royal Troon before beating him in a playoff, had one of only two bogey-free rounds for 69 and was at 9-under 135 with Miguel Angel Jimenez (68).
Woods continued to struggle with a back injury and missed several putts. Just one back at one point, Woods took 19 putts during the final nine for 70, leaving him five back.
"I just had four holes where I spent a little more time on the green than I should have," Woods said.
Everyone spent too much time changing clothes.
The weather changed from showers to sunshine, from a warm breeze to cold gusts of up to 20 mph, sometimes over the span of three holes.
"We were taking off jackets, putting on jackets, had the umbrella out, taking rain pants off, putting them back on," Hamilton said. "It was a nuisance. Plus, we got told we were behind, and that makes you speed up. I told him it was because we had to undress so many times."
Three back at the start, Els holed a couple of short putts, nearly made an ace on the par-3 third then made a 30-footer on the fourth. He added a couple of more birdies on the back nine then finished with a 10-foot par save.
"I've been playing the European tour 13 years now, so I think I've seen most conditions," Els said. "I just start learning after a while. When it's like this, it's a good opportunity to do something, maybe catch up."
Jimenez joins Els in the final pairing today thanks to a 25-foot birdie at 16, 50-foot eagle at 17 and a chip from deep rough for birdie that nearly went in at 18.
PGA: Steve Pate closed his 7-under 65 with two birdies and shared the lead with Harrison Frazar after two rounds of the Southern Farm Bureau Classic in Madison, Miss.
Pate, who hasn't won on the tour in six years and not finished better than 15th this year, was at 12-under 132. Frazar, who had two eagles during his 67, started the round tied for the lead with John Senden and Glen Day. Chris Couch shot 63 and was tied at 133 with Senden (67) and Patrick Sheehan (68). Day was tied for sixth after shooting 70.
David Duval finished at 1 under and missed the cut for the fifth time in seven events this year.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Wayne Levi tied a tournament record with 8-under 64 and held a one-shot lead over Rodger Davis after the first round of the Constellation Energy Classic in Hunt Valley, Md.
Levi had eight birdies, three in a row starting at No.5, and matched his best round on the Champions Tour. He tied the record of Jose Maria Canizares in 2000 and J.C. Snead in 2002.
Dave Eichelberger had a hole-in-one on the 169-yard seventh with a 7-iron, the second in tournament history, and shot 70.
