Record six-time winner Ernie Els three-putted the second green and still trailed to Swede Henrik Stenson after nine uneventful holes of their HSBC world Match Play semi-final at Wentworth today.
In the other match, meanwhile, Argentina's US Open champion Angel Cabrera was two up on up-and-coming, but little-known American Hunter Mahan after 11 of their 36 holes.
Els, hoping for the perfect weekend of another victory on his happiest hunting ground and then a flight to Paris to see South Africa beat Argentina in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals, had cruised through against Colin Montgomerie and Andres Romero in the first two rounds.
But his putter went cold on the world number five this morning. He had chances to level on every green from the fifth to the turn, but did not sink one of them.
Els has not won a tournament all year, but said going into the game: "Whenever I play the Match Play, with what I've done in the past, I've got a good vibe.
"I've had some barren spells in my career — 2001 I didn't win a tournament — and this is another little spell.
"I don't feel I'm playing too badly, but I'm doing things that are prohibiting me from winning.
"Last week I messed up on the 16th hole (he putted into a bunker at St Andrews) and I've been close, especially in the majors. I'd like to think that if I get the first one it can lead into quite a few other ones."
He and Stenson could both be leading the European Order of Merit after this event.
They came into the week third and fifth respectively, but top two Padraig Harrington and Justin Rose and fourth-placed Niclas Fasth were all knocked out in the first round.
Cabrera is a past winner of Europe's PGA Championship on the course and, buoyed by 10 under par wins over both Retief Goosen and holder Paul Casey, was favourite to overcome Mahan.
There was no need to change those odds as the Californian bogeyed the third and then Cabrera made a 14-foot birdie putt on the sixth.
Argentina's first major winner since Roberto de Vicenzo in 1967 did bogey the next, but hit back with putts of 14 and 27 feet on the next two greens.
Mahan, sixth in The Open at Carnoustie in July after a closing 65 and picked by Jack Nicklaus for the recent Presidents Cup, won the short 10th after a five-iron to six feet, but Cabrera saved a half on the next by getting up and down from sand.
PA