Els, 'Little Brother' Schwartzel Tied Heading Into Final Round at Doral

DORAL, Fla. -- Now, that wasn't so hard.

On their way to finishing Saturday's third-round of the CA Championship 12-under par and tied for the lead, both Charl Schwartzel and Ernie Els tapped in for easy pars on the 18th hole.

So did a lot of people, one notable exception being Soren Hansen, who made a three footer for birdie after almost holing his approach from 150 yards.

The finishing hole on Doral's Blue Monster might as well have rolled over and begged to have its belly scratched.

"Today it was a birdie hole," Els said. "I never thought I would say that about 18. First two days, I couldn't believe how tough it was and today it was driver, wedge.

"That's the wind conditions. That's South Florida."

Since the PGA Tour first started coming to Doral in 1962, the 18th hole has been the course's calling card.

"A genuinely intimidating hole," Luke Donald said. "You drive it well, and even with a good drive, you have a tough second shot. It's the best hole on the course."

Standing on the 18th tee box, a row of coconut palms line the right side of the fairway. On the other side, water frames the entire length of the dogleg left hole and juts menacingly out in front of the green. The water is in play for both tee balls and approach shots.

Last season the 467-yard par-4 ranked as the second-most difficult hole on the PGA Tour, playing to an average of 4.479. Only No. 12 at Hazeltine during the PGA Championship played tougher. In 2008 Doral's 18th was the hardest, playing at 4.625.

It's the hole where in 1995, with Greg Norman needing a par to win, dunked his approach shot 30-yards off line and into the middle of the hazard. It's where in 1999, with Greg Kraft in position for his first official PGA Tour victory, dribbled a wedge shot into the water that guards the front left side of the green.

It's also where in 2004 Craig Parry holed a 6-iron from 176 yards for eagle to beat Scott Verplank.

"Lots of history," Donald said.

The key to the hole's bite, however, is prevailing March winds that can put white caps on water hazards. Like Thursday's first round.

With wind blasting straight into players' faces, 37 of 68 golfers made bogey or worst. There were 18 balls in the water.

But on Saturday the wind changed. Although gusts were still strong enough to periodically send spectators' headgear tumbling across the turf, they were directionally benevolent for the finish.

On Thursday, the average driving distance on the finishing hole was 276 yards. Saturday it was 307. Thursday and Friday combined produced a total of 10 birdies. Saturday produced 18.

"I hit a lob-wedge into 18," Paul Casey said. "I've never hit lob-wedge into 18 before. I was actually a bit shocked as to what I needed to do."

The result was very little drama at the finish, but the set up of an intriguing final round.

Schwartzel shot 67 and Els 70 to put themselves in an all-South African final pairing of future and past.

Schwartzel is 25 with five wins on the European Tour. Els, the three-time major champion who last year turned 40, once teamed with Schwartzel's father to win a team event back in South Africa as a young pro.

"My dad obviously spoke about playing with Ernie," Schwartzel said. "So he knew my dad and I got introduced him a couple of times. He was like my big hero."

When Schwartzel decided to come to the U.S. this spring for a handful of PGA Tour appearances beginning with the World Match Play, he contacted Els to ask if he could come to South Florida to share some practice time.

Els invited Schwartzel to stay at his home.

"I went and spent nine days with him," Schwartzel said.

He's going back for a few more days after Doral, before heading to Tampa for next week's tour event.

But first they will go off in the final group tied for the final-day lead, one shot in front of Padraig Harrington and two clear of Robert Allenby.

"I don't know how it's going to go down (Sunday), but he owes me," Els laughed. "I fed him well. I gave him good wine. So he owes me big time. I think he had a great week. I've known him a long time, and he almost feels like a little brother to me.

"Now we are in the final round. I don't think ever in our wildest dreams would we have imagined that."

A lot like playing 18 with a wedge.