Els back to form at Hilton Head

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Ernie Els made partial amends for his missed cut at last week's Masters with a fast start at the Heritage Classic in Hilton Head, South Carolina, on Thursday.

The world number five, who failed to qualify for the weekend for the first time in a major since the 1999 PGA Championship, fired a six-under-par 65 in the opening round at Harbour Town Golf Links.

That left the smooth-swinging South African alone in second place, two strokes behind pace-setting American Jerry Kelly.

Argentina's Jose Coceres and Stephen Leaney of Australia returned matching 66s to lie joint third and 2004 champion Stewart Cink was among a group of five bunched on 67.

Els, without a win on the PGA Tour since the 2004 WGC-American Express Championship, rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt at the par-five second before reaching the turn in four-under 32.

Despite strengthening afternoon winds, he picked up further shots at the 13th and par-three 17th, where he holed out from a greenside bunker, to close to within two strokes of the lead.

"To start off well and feel like I'm in the tournament was a nice feeling," the three-times major winner told reporters.

"I hit the ball solidly and felt really good, a lot better than last week," added Els, who missed the halfway cut at a brutally difficult Augusta National after shooting 78 and 76.

"In the last two years, I haven't really been where I think I should be and, at times, I've been so frustrated that I really didn't want to talk to anybody.