Also in contention is evergreen German veteran Bernhard Langer who is trying to make more PGA Tour Champions history.
Langer, 67, sits two shots off the lead at 10-under-par 134 after shooting the best round of the day, a nine-under 63, on Friday at Hualalai Golf Club in Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii.
South African Els carded a 65 while Germany's Cejka posted a 66, leaving them at 12-under 132 in the 54-hole, season-opening event. The tournament features a limited field of 42 players.
Langer won the circuit's 2024 finale, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, to extend his streak of winning a Champions event to 18 straight years. He raised his record total to 47 Champions victories.
An eagle on the par-5 10th hole highlighted the round for Germany's Langer, offsetting his lone bogey of the day on the prior hole. He also logged eight birdies.
Els highlighted his bogey-free round with three consecutive birdies at Nos.14-16.
"Obviously hit the ball nicely, kept it in play and gave myself a lot of chances, opportunities," said Els, who won three Champions events last year, raising his career victory total on the tour to six.
"And yeah, missed quite a few but obviously made a few. All in all, a very nice solid round of golf. Something I was looking to try and do before (Saturday's) final round."
Cejka also made his only bogey of the day at No.9 while producing seven birdies.
"I was actually pretty calm today, surprisingly," said Cejka, who owns three lifetime Champions wins, the latest in 2023.
"I played pretty solid. I think the weather was a little bit softer today with the wind conditions, so it was scorable. The pins were a little bit tricky on some of the holes right in the corners, but you still have to make good shots."
Justin Leonard (second-round 66), Brett Quigley (68) and Pampling (66) are tied for fourth at nine under.
Steve Flesch (65), Ken Tanigawa (66), Jerry Kelly (67), defending champion Steven Alker of New Zealand (66), Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke (68), Canada's Stephen Ames (70) and first-round co-leader Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain (71) share seventh place at eight under.
The other first-round co-leader, Argentina's Ricardo Gonzalez, shot a 73 and is now tied for 20th at six under.
Mark Hensby (71), the only other Australian in the field, is in a tie for 28th at four under.
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