South Korea's K.J. Choi closed in on his second Chrysler Championship on Sunday as he surged three shots clear of the field with nine holes to play.

Choi, the 2002 Chrysler winner, got off to a dazzling start with an eagle at the par five first at the Palm Harbor Copperhead course, and then mixed two birdies with a pair of bogeys to get to 11-under for the tournament.

That gave hime a three-shot cushion over Americans Paul Goydos and Brett Wetterich.

Goydos, who sits 160th on the money list and needs a big finish to get into the top 125 to secure his playing privileges for next season, was battling hard sitting on even par.

Wetterich was working on an error free day going four-under with five holes to complete.

South Africa's Ernie Els, who began the day one stroke off the lead, slipped down the leaderboard going two-over through 11 holes to sit six off the pace at six-under.

Els, the world number seven, is also seeking a top finish in order to secure a place in next week's season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.