Ernie Els, Alex Cejka share lead entering final round of Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai

Things to know

• World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els and three-time senior major winner Alex Cejka share the lead entering the final round of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
• Bernhard Langer, the 67-year-old World Golf Hall of Fame member and three-time winner of this event, sits two shots off the leaders in solo third after a second-round 63, the 24th time Langer has shot his age or better on PGA TOUR Champions.

Ernie Els, 67-65 – 132 (-12)

• The 55-year-old seeks his seventh win on PGA TOUR Champions (105th start).
  • Last win: 2024 Kaulig Companies Championship
• This is his 11th time leading/co-leading entering the final round on PGA TOUR Champions.
  • Is 3-for-10 converting those into victories
• Will play in the last group of the final round for the seventh time since the start of the 2024 season
  • Was 3-for-6 converting those into victories in 2024, winning each of the last three instances
• Making his sixth appearance at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, his best finish is T2 (2020)
  • Has finished inside the top 12 in all five previous appearances
• During the 2024 season, he won three times and finished No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup race.

Alex Cejka, 66-66 – 132 (-12)

• The 54-year-old seeks his fourth win on PGA TOUR Champions (93rd start).
  • Last win: 2023 Senior Open Championship
  • Note: all three of his wins on PGA TOUR Champions are in majors
• This is his fifth time leading/co-leading entering the final round on PGA TOUR Champions.
  • Is 1-for-4 converting those into victories
• Will play in the last group of the final round for the second time since the start of the 2024 season
  • Was 0-for-1 in 2024 (Chubb Classic/T3)
• Making his fourth appearance at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, his best finish is T6 (2023).
• During the 2024 season, he notched six top-10s in 20 starts and finished No. 14 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.

Other notes

• Three-time champion Bernhard Langer (2009, 2014, 2017) sits in third at 10-under. With his second-round 63, the 67-year-old World Golf Hall of Fame member shot his age or better for the 24th time on PGA TOUR Champions.
  • Looks to become the first four-time winner of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai
  • Seeks his record-extending 48th victory on PGA TOUR Champions (357th start)
  • Seeks back-to-back wins on PGA TOUR Champions after capturing the 2024 Charles Schwab Cup Championship in his last outing
    • Last to win back-to-back starts on PGA TOUR Champions: Ernie Els (2024 Principal Charity Classic; 2024 American Family Insurance Championship)
    • Last time Bernhard Langer won in consecutive starts – 2017 (Dominion Energy Charity Classic, PowerShares QQQ Championship)
• Rod Pampling, Justin Leonard and Brett Quigley each sit T4 at 9-under.
• Seven players are T7 at 8-under, including defending champion and reigning PGA TOUR Champions Player of the Year Steven Alker and 18-hole co-leader and three-time champion (2015, 2020, 2022) Miguel Angel Jiménez..
• 18-hole co-leader Ricardo Gonzalez carded 1-over 73 and sits T20 at 6-under.
• Making his 20th appearance at Hualalai, 71-year-old Jay Haas (T23) bettered his age with 2-under 70. This is his 25th time shooting his age or better on PGA TOUR Champions, including nine of his last 15 rounds.