GOLF ROUNDUP : Els Knocks Off Langer for a Shot at Elkington

Ernie Els will get a close look at Steve Elkington in today’s 36-hole final of the grueling World Match Play Championship at Virginia Water, England.

South Africa’s Els won, 1-up, in Saturday’s 36-hole semifinals over Germany’s Bernhard Langer, and Elkington of Australia defeated Costantino Rocca of Italy, 3 and 1, in the other semifinal.

Els was leading the PGA Championship at Riviera after three rounds, only to stumble to a 72 in the final round as Elkington shot 64 to force a playoff that he won over Colin Montgomerie.

“What he did to me in the PGA, 64 in the last round, it was great golf,” Els said. “I’ve never played in the same group with Steve, and I’m looking forward to it.”

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Jim Furyk, who led the Las Vegas Invitational after four rounds last year only to lose on the final day, shot a five-under-par 67 to tie Billy Mayfair for the lead going into the final round of the 90-hole event.

Furyk, who finished fifth last year after a final-round 70, is tied at 23 under with Mayfair, who shot 66.

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Lee Trevino got hot early and tied Chi Chi Rodriguez and Don Bies for the lead at seven-under 137 after two rounds of the $700,000 Raley’s Senior Gold Rush at Rancho Murieta.

Trevino birdied the first three holes, four of the first five, and five of the first eight. He ended with a seven-under 65, passing 21 players in the process.

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Laura Davies opened a three-stroke lead in the World Championship of Women’s Golf by shooting a one-under-par 71 in the third round at Cheju Island, South Korea.