Hungry for his first victory of the year after battling to overcame a knee injury, Ernie Els was delighted to match British Open leader Tiger Woods with a seven-under-par 65 in Friday's second round.
The big South African finished a sun-drenched day at Hoylake one stroke behind Woods at 11-under 133 and the pair will play together in the final group out on Saturday.
"I'm just happy to be in this position," 2002 champion Els told reporters after reeling off seven birdies in a blemish-free display.
"When I started to get on a roll, I wanted to get in that final group. I wasn't going to back down today.
"I played some solid golf, hit some good shots and felt good on the greens. I really enjoyed the round."
Fully recovered from the knee injury that left him sidelined for four months at the end of last season, Els highlighted the importance of ending the second round just one shot behind the game's best player.
"He's quite a good front-runner so you need to reach out and haul him back," the 36-year-old said. "He's not going to back down from a lead.
"I've got to do my own thing. I've been a good player myself for quite a long time and I've worked hard to get back."
The three-times major winner talked about the frustrations of trying to overcome his injury.
"It's been a pretty tough time," said Els, who twisted his knee on a sailing holiday.
"Almost a year now and I've had a rough time with the game and the injury. But I've definitely turned the corner and I've come a long way to be here.
"I feel physically fine. I'm not subconsciously thinking about it in my swing.
"I'm in a pretty nice position in this tournament. I'm looking forward to the weekend."
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