Big Easy ends big drought
DORAL, Fla. — They call him the Big Easy because of a graceful swing that looks as if it requires so little effort.
Ernie Els worked harder than ever Sunday to win the CA Championship.
Two years without a victory — the longest drought of his career — and playing with all the pressure against a South African protege whom he helped groom for such a stage, Els played the final 23 holes without a bogey on the Blue Monster and closed with a 6-under 66 for a four-shot victory over Charl Schwartzel.
Els looked every bit like his nickname as he sauntered toward the 18th green, raising his cap to the crowd with an easy smile. It was as much relief as it was satisfaction.
“I’m 40-years-old. I’ve had a tough run,” Els said. “Whew! The hairs are standing up. It’s just great.”
He returned to among the elite in golf at No. 8 in the world and became only the fifth player to win multiple times in the World Golf Championships, joining Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke, Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson.
It didn’t come easily.
Els worked on his swing until twilight in the days leading up to Doral, then put it to the test in a final round that was far closer than the margin suggested. Schwartzel, a 25-year-old who took part in Els’ junior program in South Africa, never backed down.
“This means so much,” Els said. “I didn’t think it was ever going to happen again. But I felt all week that the work that I did, that I finally had to trust it at some stage, and there’s no better day to really test yourself.
“I just wanted to prove to myself for once. Charl came at me all day. I had to come up with the goods.”
Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont., fired a final-round 70 to finish 14 shots back.
Els was clinging to a one-shot lead when he stood over a 25-foot par putt on the 14th hole, relieved to see it fall on the final turn. It was the pivotal moment in the tournament, the kind that Els had been missing since his victory two years ago in the Honda Classic.
“I basically just wanted to make 5 and get out of there,” Els said. “I haven’t been making those kind of putts, and you have to make putts like that to win golf tournaments at some point. Luckily for me, I did it on the 14th hole today. And absolutely, I felt a lot better after that. I felt like maybe this one is for me this week.”
Els finished at 18-under 270 to win for the 61st time worldwide, and 17th time on the PGA Tour.
Schwartzel, a houseguest of Els the last two weeks, caught a bad break on the 15th hole when his ball plugged in a front bunker, and he knocked that into a back bunker on his way to a crucial bogey. He missed short putts on the next two holes and closed with a 70.
“All credit to Ernie. He played flawless golf today,” said Schwartzel, who earned US$850,000 and will be able to take up PGA Tour membership next year. “I thought I played really good, gave a good charge. I was on his heels all the time.”
It was a strong effort by Schwartzel, who has considered Els a hero since he first started playing golf. Despite two bogeys on the final four holes, he was the only player to give Els a run. And he was poised to take him down until his tee shot left him little hope in the sand.
“I plugged and that was a killer,” Schwartzel said. “For me, it’s been the biggest stage I’ve had. This is a good day for me.”
Padraig Harrington fell out of the running with three straight bogeys on the back nine, closing with a 72 to tie for third at 11-under 277 along with Matt Kuchar (68) and Martin Kaymer who had a 69.
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