The only problem Ernie Els might conceivably have as he formally wraps up his third consecutive Heineken Classic is the safety-first approach.

With a gaping eight-shot lead going into the final round at Royal Melbourne, even Els is prepared to concede there is an air of inevitability about the outcome.

"I'd like to think so," Els said after adding a four under par 68 to his earlier rounds of 60 and 66.

That left him with a 54-hole total of 194 - one shot outside the European Tour record he set himself last year in romping to victory in the Johnnie Walker Classic at Lake Karrinyup in Perth.

Els' closest rival remained Queenslander Adam Scott and he was joined late by New Zealander Gareth Paddison at 14 under par.

Australians Peter Fowler and Peter O'Malley and Swede Peter Hanson were a further shot back.

Els could not reproduce the fireworks of his first round, nor match but still managed to stretch his lead by a shot at the end of the day.

"The third round is always an important round, you've got to keep going and at least I got another shot on my lead," he said

"It was a good day's work."

Els said a large lead is "on your mind a little bit" but needed to be set aside.

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