March 10, 2002	Sunday	Zilhaj 25, 1422

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DUBAI, March 9: Ernie Els finished the third round of the Dubai Desert Classic three shots ahead of the field Saturday, putting himself in line for a second victory in as many weeks.

The South African carded a five-under-par 67 on the Emirates course to move to 13-under-par, three ahead of Sweden’s Niclas Fasth.

Sweden’s Carl Pettersson continued to impress in his second year on the European Tour, moving into third place at eight-under-par with a round of 65.

English duo Paul Broadhurst and John Bickerton, along with Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin and Scotland’s Andrew Oldcorn, were at six-under-par, but second-round leader Charlie Wi of Korea slipped well off the pace following a disastrous five-over-par 77.

Els last week took an eight-stroke lead into the final round of the Genuity Championship in Florida before claiming his 10th US PGA Tour victory, two strokes ahead of Tiger Woods.

A month ago he led by half as many strokes en route to an all the way victory in the Heineken Classic in Australia.

The South African was in trouble just once in his round when he found the rough with his tee shot at the par-three seventh.

His ball flew high from the rough and was caught by the wind and found a greenside water hazard.

Els recorded his first European Tour victory by winning the 1994 Dubai Desert Classic and is now just 18 holes away from adding a 10th regular Tour victory to add to his list of triumphs.

If the 32-year-old should win it will be the third occasion in his 12-year professional career he has won back to back.

But while the world number three gets set to sip the winning champagne again, Fasth was unhappy after officials put the Swede on the clock for a second day running.

Fasth posted a three-under-par 69 to end at 10-under-par, but the Ryder Cup rookie was clearly frustrated at being under the eye of time keepers for his closing five holes.

Pettersson produced the equal second lowest score of his short 15-month European Tour career with a flawless round of 65.

Wi’s hopes of a first European Tour victory vanished when he recorded a double bogey and four bogeys in his round.

Leading third round scores (Britain unless stated, a-denotes amateur):

203 — Ernie Els (South Africa) 68, 68, 67.

206 — Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 68, 69, 69.

208 — Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 70, 73, 65.

210 — Raphael Jacquelin (France) 71, 71, 68; Andrew Oldcorn 75, 66, 69; Paul Broadhurst 69, 70, 71; John Bickerton 69, 68, 73.

211 — Greg Owen 71, 70, 70; Sven Struever (Germany) 69, 72, 70; Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 67, 73, 71.

212 — Klas Eriksson (Sweden) 72, 74, 66; Rolf Muntz (Netherlands) 70, 75, 67; Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 72, 72, 68; a-Michael Hoey 74, 68, 70; Carlos Rodiles (Spain) 72, 70, 70; Brian Davis 71, 70, 71; Simon Dyson 71, 68, 73; Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 71, 67, 74; Charlie Wi (South Korea) 68, 67, 77.

213 — Darren Clarke 72, 73, 68; Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 70, 75, 68; Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark) 74, 70, 69; Bradley Dredge 74, 70, 69; Mathias Gronberg (Sweden) 72, 70, 71; Gary Evans 70, 71, 72.—Reuters