ESPN Golf

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa -- Retief Goosen shot an 11 on the 17th hole Thursday, leaving Ernie Els tied for the lead after a 5-under 67 at the South African Open.

Els, who had two birdies and an eagle on the back nine, is tied with Carl Suneson, Trevor Immelman and Andrew Raitt. Lee Westwood, Patrik Sjoland and Des Terblanche were another shot back.

Goosen, who closed with a birdie to finish with a 69, was leading when two tee shots went into the bushes on No. 17. He found his second shot but had to take an unplayable drop.

He finished the hole with a 9 but got a two-stroke penalty because he thought he had a re-drop. Calls from viewers prompted European Tour senior referee Andy McFee to rule that Goosen should be penalized.

"He thought he had to re-drop. But you only do so if it rolls more than two club lengths from where it strikes the ground," McFee said. "His ball didn't do that, and it also didn't roll nearer the hole so his ball was in play.

"As soon as he picked it up to re-drop he incurred a one-stroke penalty. If he replaced it on the exact spot from where he lifted it, it would've stayed a one-stroke penalty. But because he didn't replace it, it became a two-stroke penalty and the nine became an 11."

Goosen opened with a birdie and had three more birdies and an eagle through 12 holes. He then had a bogey on the 13th, an eagle on the 15th and a birdie on the 16th.

The South African finished with a birdie on the 18th to stay in contention, and he avoided being disqualified because McFee informed him of the penalty before he signed his card.

James Kingston, James Kamte, Gareth Davies, Pelle Edberg, Alan McLean and Fredrik Andersson Hed are tied with Goosen.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press