Ernie Els Heads Toward Another World Match Title

South African Ernie Els moved a step closer to successfully defending his World Match Play title, dispatching former U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen 4 and 3 Friday in their 36-hole quarterfinal match at Virginia Water, England.

Els is trying to become the first to win in his first two appearances in Europe’s richest golf event, worth $270,000 to the winner.

Masters champion Ben Crenshaw was eliminated 3 and 2 by Italian Ryder Cup member Costantino Rocca. In the other quarterfinals, Bernhard Langer defeated Nick Price 1 up and Australian Steve Elkington won 3 and 1 over Colin Montgomerie of Scotland.

In today’s 36-hole semifinals, Els plays Langer and Elkington faces Rocca.

David Edwards and Jim Furyk have the lead after three rounds of the $1.5 million Las Vegas Invitational. Edwards shot a 7-under-par 64 and Furyk had a 65 for three-day totals of 197. Kirk Triplett, formerly of Pullman, shot a 69 to put his three-day total at 202.

Walt Zembriski shot a bogey-free 5-under-par 67 to grab a one-stroke lead in the first round of the Raley’s Senior Gold Rush at Rancho Murieta, Calif.

Betsy King, Laura Davies and Pat Bradley were tied for the second-round lead in the World Championship of Women’s Golf with 138 totals at Cheju Island, South Korea.

King and Bradley fired 2-under-par 70s to join Davies, who shot 71.