Ernie Els kept the mistakes to a minimum down the stretch Saturday and hit wedge in tight for birdie on his final hole for a 2-under 69, giving him a share of the lead with Greg Chalmers going into the final round of the Senior PGA Championship.

Chalmers, the left-handed Australian renowned for his putting, had a 66 while making only two bogeys, not a bad mark on the Harbor Shores course that gave so many fits.

Els, a four-time major champion and among the best of his generation, is in great position to finally get a first major title on the senior circuit. This is his 17th senior major, and even he was surprised to be atop the leaderboard.

They were at 10-under 203.

Richard Bland of England, the LIV Golf player who got into his first senior major from an exemption category he didn’t know existed, started out at 12-under par and then began a quick slide through tentative putting and shot 74 to fall one shot behind.

Bland and Chris DiMarco, who didn’t make a birdie on the back nine in his round of 71, were one shot behind. Richard Green of Australia had two eagles and still only managed a 70 after a bogey on the final hole.

Riley up 4 on Scheffler at somber Colonial

Davis Riley was finishing a 4-under 66 for a four-shot lead over surging Scottie Scheffler at Colonial while PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan conducted interviews about the death of two-time tour winner Grayson Murray.

So the Sunday question of whether Riley can hold off world No. 1 Scheffler for his first solo victory is now mixed with how players might honor Murray just four months after he won the Sony Open in Hawaii

Scheffler shot 63 and was alone in second at 10 under. The hometown favorite has played his last 41 holes in 13 under since his first triple-bogey of the year in the first round, which was his second round over par (72) in the previous three coming off a streak of 41 rounds at par better.

Pierceson Coodyand Hayden Buckley were a stroke behind Scheffler after 69s.

Tony Finau was alone in sixth at 7 under after a 68. Collin Morikawa (67), who played in the final group at the Masters and the PGA Championship this year, was at 6 under. Morikawa was tied with three others, including Keegan Bradley, who was in the three-man playoff Murray won at the Sony Open.