Els feels heat as Desert storm brews for No 2

Ernie Els made it over the water at the 18th hole of the Emirates course yesterday, but only just. In Friday's second round of the Dubai Desrt Desert the South African had sunk his second shot at the par five and taken his first bogey of the tournament. This time his ball came to rest on top of the retaining wall on the green side of the lake, nestling against a collar of rough.

Els thought about using the toe-end of his putter to extricate himself from the tricky spot, but instead chipped firmly. Too firmly. With the pin cut in the narrowest part of the green he went over the back, chipped eight feet past again and could not save par.

So for the second day running Els lost sole possession of the lead. But having started the third round in a four-way tie, he ended it in a three-way tie, which was progress of sorts.

Alastair Forsyth, who missed a short birdie opportunity at the last, and Staffordshire's David Lynn, who did get his four there, joined Els on 13 under by matching his 69. Two strokes behind came the trio of 19-year-old American-based Korean Kevin Na, Thai former paratrooper Thongchai Jaidee and Ian Woosnam, who birdied two of the last three holes in his 70.

"Yesterday I hit a bad four-iron at the last, but today I thought I could get there with a six-iron," said Els. He had 195 yards from the semi-rough. "I thought it would fly but it came out soft. The chip from the top of the wall was not that difficult, but I didn't want the ball to stick in the bank. It came out with topspin and then I faced a difficult chip back down the grain."

Conditions were more difficult than on the first two days. The breeze was up for most of the day, the greens were much quicker and there were some treacherous pin placements, which forced Els's first bogey of the day. He also three-putted at the ninth and, including the one at the last, he was about up to his monthly ration.

"Hopefully, I will make fewer mistakes tomorrow, but I still feel confident in my swing," said the world No 2. "The greens were a lot quicker today. I prefer that, but it would have been nice if they had warned us."

Els was initially wayward off the tee but he drove the green at the 310-yard 17th to set up his third birdie in a row, a little run that had seemed to stamp his authority on proceedings. Forsyth had gone out in 32 with an eagle at the third and birdies at the seventh and eighth to lead by three. Though that lead disappeared on the way home he did little wrong – he parred the entire back nine.

The 27-year-old Scot, who won the Malaysian Open last year, displayed as placid a temperament as the Big Easy himself and relished the prospect of playing with Els again today. "Though I was three ahead there were still 27 holes to play," Forsyth said.

"If I am in the same position with nine holes to play tomorrow it will be a bit more exciting. Today I felt fine playing with Ernie but it doesn't matter who you play with, there are going to be five or six guys with a chance to win the tournament."

Els has won four times and been runner-up once in five strokeplay events this year and is keen to defend his title here. That he has won a Major in the same year as winning here, as in 1994 and 2002, had escaped his radar. "Even if I don't win tomorrow I feel I have a great chance of winning a Major this year," he said.

Before the round, Forsyth officially withdrew from this week's Qatar Masters, which looks set to go ahead as scheduled in Doha. With Britain introducing a deadline of 17 March at the United Nations Security Council, the tournament should be completed the previous day.

The British Government has warned its citizens against travelling to Qatar, where there is a major US military base, for non-essential reasons, but many countries are represented on the European Tour. Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley are playing, having heard nothing from the Irish government to dissuade them.

Though a number of players decided against playing, including Colin Montgomerie and last year's winner, Adam Scott, a last-minute stream of withdrawals failed to materialise prior to yesterday's official deadline.