Lead on U.S. soil rare for Els

DORAL, Fla. --- Rushing to finish as dark clouds gathered over the Blue Monster, Ernie Els made one last birdie for 6-under-par 66 and a one-shot lead over Robert Allenby before heavy rain temporarily halted play Friday in the CA Championship.

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Associated Press

Ernie Els hits out of a bunker on No. 10 in the second round of the WGC-CA Championship. He shot 6-under 66 and holds a one-shot lead over Robert Allenby, who shot 67 after a late bogey.

Eighteen players had to wait nearly three hours before they could resume the second round. When it finally ended, Els had his first lead after any round on U.S. soil since he won the Honda Classic two years ago.

"It's in the books, and we were pretty lucky to get done," he said. "We ran the last two holes just to get in the house."

He was at 10-under 134, courtesy of three consecutive birdies early in his round, when his shotmaking was supreme, and how he held it together when the wind and weather changed quickly.

Els was standing over his tee shot on the par-3 fourth when he felt a gust, not unusual except that this one felt cold.

"I'm just about to pull the club back and I just felt this chill come over. And I thought, 'What's going on here?' And the wind just changed right there," he said.

He came up short of the green and scrambled for par.

"Very, very strange," Els said. "I think the only other time I had that happen was in Scotland when the tide changed. Other than that, I've never seen that happen."

Allenby was tied for the lead until a three-putt from 50 feet in rain so strong he could barely see the flag.

The bogey gave him 67 and will put him in the final group with Els today.