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Great shot propels Els into contention

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 8 (UPI) -- Gambling Ernie Els conjured up a breathtaking shot on the final hole at the Emirates Golf Club Friday to muscle his way into contention in the Dubai Desert Classic and a possible victory on successive weekends on two continents.

The South African, who won last week's Genuity Championship on the US PGA Tour, reached the halfway stage only one stroke behind Korean Charlie Wi after playing a four iron which ranked close to the top of Els's personal list of great shots.

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A bold gamble paved the way for an eagle on his final hole for a second straight 68 and a 36-hole total of 136.

Els' runnerup status at this point was due almost entirely to that 213 yard shot from the undergrowth left of the 18th fairway.

He took a big chance by identifying a tiny gap in the trees and deciding to go for it. His ball was lying cleanly in the sandy wastes underneath the trees and he smacked a wonderful shot through the foliage, over the water to 35 feet. After that stunning skill, the eagle putt seemed almost a formality.

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"That shot is way up there (among his favorites), it has to be in my top three," he said with a smile which betrayed his contentment with that one stroke of genius.

"Ricci, my caddie, was in a state of disbelief, but it was one of these things which really made my day. I had missed a few putts but that makes up for everything.

"I didn't get any applause for the shot and I thought it must have gone into the water. I asked Howard Clark, who was working for TV, and he said it was on the green. I guess the spectators thought it was just another shot."

Earlier, Wi shot a round of 67 to lead the tournament.

Playing in Dubai on the strength of finishing second on the Davidoff Tour in 2001, Wi enjoyed the experience of leading for the first time on the European tour.

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