Chalmers, Els, a Contrast of Experience Sharing 54-hole KitchenAid Senior PGA Lead

The 54-hole KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship co-leaders Ernie Els and Greg Chalmers (-10) are a contrast of Champions Tour experience, both gunning for their first senior major title in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Els has consistently impressed at senior majors with 10 top 10 finishes and nine top 5s since joining the Tour in 2020. But the four-time major champion has yet to walk away with a victory.

This season is Chalmers' rookie campaign on the senior circuit. The Australian last won a professional event in his only career PGA Tour victory at the 2016 Barracuda Championship.

"This is the thing, I haven't had this for so long," Chalmers said. "This is the great thing about sort of Champions Tour golf. It feels like you're part of a big event, which you are. So I've been looking forward to this opportunity. I need the challenge. I'm looking forward to see how I do tomorrow and how I play.

"See if I can embrace it with both hands and play some good golf."

Chalmers, 50, is making his fifth start on the Champions Tour with his KitchenAid Senior PGA debut. He carded a five-under 66, stringing five straight birdies from the sixth through 10th to surge up the leaderboard. Chalmers was in command of his iron play, knocking a 5-iron from 180 yards into the wind on the 422-yard par-4 seventh to four feet.

He could've built a two-stroke lead had he not missed a 10-footer on the second and four-footer on the third for birdies that would have given him eight birdies over a nine-hole stretch.

The charge put Chalmers is unfamiliar territory of being in contention, something he wants to try to enjoy Sunday. Chalmers will trust that the strategy he and his caddie will devise tomorrow will ensure commitment to each shot and see what happens afterward.

"I don't know how much pressure is on me personally," Chalmers said. "I think there is a long way between now and when they hand the trophy to someone. There is a lot of golf that has to be played."

MORE: Two Corebridge Financial Team Members in Contention at Harbor Shores

Els's last start on the Champions Tour was his most recent senior major top-5 finish, a T3 at the Regions Tradition on May 12th. The former World No. 1 put himself in position for another top-5 result with a third-round two-under 69, remaining patient during a difficult scoring day for the field.

"10-under is leading at the moment; 12-under was leading yesterday," Els said. "I played solid. I didn't play spectacular, but played solid enough to get myself up there."

Els tied Chalmers on his last hole of the day, knocking a pitching wedge from 136 yards into the 417-yard 18th to six feet. It was the South African's sixth birdie of the day, as the 54-year-old continued battling back after carding four bogeys.

Once again, the 19-time PGA Tour winner finds himself in a position to earn his first senior major title. The World Golf Hall of Famer complimented his peers on why the Big Easy has yet to win the big one on the Champions Tour.

"These guys are good, man," Els said. "I haven't really fired on all my cylinders. I've been missing a couple either in the putting or driving or something, you know. I'm trying to put all the pieces together."