Els keeps the lead despite pressure

He's got a 2-shot lead at the Memorial.
DUBLIN (AP) -- Ernie Els could sense his lead in the Memorial getting away.
He heard the cheers for Tiger Woods ahead of him and K.J. Choi behind him. He watched Fred Couples pour in a couple of birdies to catch him. It was time for the Big Easy to respond, and he did just that -- by hooking his tee shot so far left on the par-5 11th that it landed on the other side of the creek.
Suddenly, it all turned around.
Els got the ball back in play and rifled a 5-iron into 20 feet for birdie, a big shot in an impeccable round of 6-under 66 that gave him a two-shot lead and his best chance to win at Jack's place.
"That was definitely a bonus," Els said.
Aggressive to the end, Els played bogey-free on a sunny afternoon at Muirfield Village and finished at 12-under 204, the first time since the season-opening Mercedes Championships last year that he has held a 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour. Els hasn't squandered a third-round lead on tour in four years, but this won't be easy.
Couples (68), Choi (68) and Justin Rose (69) were two shots behind. Another stroke back was Stephen Ames (70) and Woods, who has hit the ball where he's aiming the last 45 holes and shot a 67.
"I've got a two-shot lead, but it doesn't mean much," Els said. "It means I'm leading the tournament. It means that I'm playing well, doing something right. But I'd rather be leading after [today]."
Couples electrifies
Couples, the '98 winner at Memorial, continued to electrify the gallery with sensational shots. The latest was a wedge he holed from 70 yards on No. 17 for birdie that put him at 206 and in the final group with Els.
"I've got a great shot at winning," Couples said. "That doesn't happen very often."
Choi spent most of the sunny afternoon sharing top billing with Els on the leaderboard, but he had to recover from a couple of bogeys. The stocky South Korean also birdied the 17th to get to 10-under 206.
Rose stumbled to a double bogey early in the round, but that was his only mistake.
Jack Nicklaus, the 64-year-old tournament host, had to play the last five holes in 1-under for a 77.
British Open champion Ben Curtis, tied for the lead with Rose and Ames after 36 holes, had a 73 and left him six shots behind, along with defending champion Kenny Perry (66).
Curtis got off to a rough start even before he made the 20-minute drive from his home in Ostrander. He nicked himself shaving, and was bleeding from the neck on the third tee. After getting some bandages to stop the bleeding, he took double bogey by hitting into the water and never quite recovered.
Woods stayed in the hunt after his worst swing of the day, a 3-iron that sailed 50 yards left of the 15th green, plunked a spectator on the head and wound up in the 16th fairway. Woods hit a flop shot to the fringe, then made it for an unlikely birdie.
"I needed to somehow get to 9 or 10 [under] to give myself a chance," Woods said.
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