Els back in form, takes charge at Heritage

The Big Easy is making it look, well, easy again.

Ernie Els showed the form that won him three major titles – and had gone missing for most of the past two seasons – on Friday in the Verizon Heritage at Hilton Head Island, S.C., shooting his second straight 6-under-par 65 to take a three-stroke lead over Jerry Kelly.

“I haven’t been quite consistent at this level,” Els said. “But there’s been glimpses of good play. It’s nice to be there again.”

Els still ranks fifth in the world, but has struggled since surgery to repair a ruptured knee ligament in 2005. He hasn’t won on the PGA Tour in nearly three years and flamed out at the Masters last week, missing the cut at a major for the first time since the 1999 PGA Championship.

Now, the 37-year-old South African is back to his usual laid-back style.

“This week, I’ve tried to play the way I can play, and if I’m going to make a mistake, then I don’t feel like it’s the end of the world,” he said.

Els hasn’t made too many mistakes so far. He’s had only one bogey in the first two rounds.

By the time he tapped in for his final birdie on No. 9, Els was five shots in front of the field – and a stroke off the tournament’s 36-hole scoring mark set by Jack Nicklaus in 1975 and matched by Phil Mickelson in 2002.

Zach Johnson continued his Masters’ victory tour, once again celebrated by Harbour Town crowds. Johnson’s game picked up some, too, with a 68 that moved him to 4 under.

Ochoa leads at LPGA

Lorena Ochoa’s drive sailed right and landed under a folding chair. All she had to do was mark the ball, then drop it a few feet away. Somehow, someway, she skipped the most important step.

Ochoa forgot to mark her ball before picking it up. It cost her a one-stroke penalty and probably the outright lead in the Ginn Open at Reunion, Fla.

The 25-year-old Mexican star didn’t let the error affect the rest of her round, birdieing seven of the final 12 holes to shoot a 6-under 66 in the second round and tie Laura Davies (66-132) for the lead.

Rathdrum’s Tracy Hanson shot her second consecutive 70 to tie for ninth place. Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot 72 and just made the cut at 146.