Charl Schwartzel put in his bid to run down Ernie Els, but some veteran shotmaking was the difference.
Els shot 66 to Schwartzel’s 70 in Sunday’s final round of the World Golf Championships at Doral and eased to a four-stroke victory over his fellow South African.
The win was the first in two years for Els, whose last PGA Tour victory (2008 Honda Classic) was also in the state of Florida. It was also his 17th victory on the PGA Tour and second WGC title, the first of which came at the 2004 WGC American Express in Ireland.
“This means so much,” Els told PGATour.com. “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.”
Els and Schwartzel have more in common than simply hailing from the same part of the world. Schwartzel was schooled in Els’ junior golf program in South Africa and was a houseguest of his mentor over the last two weeks.
But a bogey at 15, where he couldn’t get up and down from a plugged lie in a greenside bunker, and another bogey at 17 prevented Schwartzel from maintaining the pressure down the stretch. The 25-year-old had played holes 6-12 in four-under par.
“All credit to Ernie. He played flawless golf today,” Schwartzel said. “I thought I played really good, gave a good charge. I was on his heels all the time.”
Els picked up $1.4 million for his victory and some much-needed momentum with the Masters looming next month.
“This win means so much to me. I mean, that final round was a big day,” the 40-year-old Els said in a blog post. “No one puts more pressure on me than I do myself and there’s no better time to test yourself than the fourth round of the golf tournament with everything on the line.”
Banner headlines: PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem announced late Sunday that he would be holding a teleconference Monday afternoon.
Almost immediately, speculation turned to Tiger Woods and a possible date for his return.
So, with great anticipation, Finchem made his announcement.
That the PGA Tour stop in San Diego was keeping its sponsor.
Farmers Insurance, which stepped in days before the event in January to replace Buick, will remain as title sponsor with a new four-year deal. Ben Crane won the tournament this year at Torrey Pines, which has been home to a tour stop since 1968 and hosted the 2008 U.S. Open on its south course.
“This is a very solid deal financially,” Finchem said on the conference call. “We are very pleased with the commitment of Farmers. It will allow us to increase the purse at the tournament starting next year, which will get it directly squarely into the range of purse levels at the time of the year on the PGA Tour.”
Crane won $954,000 of the total $5.3 million purse.
Still no word: That leaves the question of Tiger’s return unanswered.
During his televised statement Feb. 19, Woods said he would return to golf “some day” but did not provide any details. Since that time, he has reportedly been seen near his Isleworth home, practicing and working with golf coach Hank Haney.
Finchem said the tour will get a head’s up before Woods tees it up officially.
“We have the general information that Tiger is preparing to play, and there’s been a lot of speculation about when he might come back out. Tiger has indicated to us that he will give us reasonable notice, because we know we have got some preparation to do,” Finchem said.
“I don’t have the specific date when he’s going to come back, and I could only assume that all of the speculation about late March and early April, if he’s going to start back then, we will know soon.”
Woods will not be in the field for this week’s Transitions Championship. Speculation has centered on next week’s Tavistock Cup at his home course in Isleworth and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, March 25-28. The Masters is April 8-11.
Rookie shines: It required an extra day, but Derek Lamely will gladly take it.
The 29-year-old PGA Tour rookie fired a final-round 66 on Monday to win the rain-delayed Puerto Rico Open, posting a 19-under-par 269 total for a new record at Trump International Golf Club. Lamely started from the 10th tee in his last round to become the first player since Keith Clearwater at the 1987 Colonial to win from that position.
“I knew if I kept playing well and I kept trying to make birdies, I knew I would get within striking distance,” said Lamely, who ecliped Kris Blanks by two strokes to earn the $630,000 first-place check.
Mike Scarr is the editor of Golflink.com. He can be reached at golflinkeditor@demandmedia.com.
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I am a little amazed that Tiger is still in the news. I think it would be best for all if Tiger is left to himself and his inner feelings. I can rest assure that very few golfers wake up in the morning thinking about Tiger. Tiger has some deep wounds to heal not only within his self but with his family not extented family. This is a process that might take a very long time. It is not easy to look at your family and say I am sorry everyday and this is what is expected from Tiger. Tiger has to build up a concrete confidence again with his family. This is something that could take years.
The reason we hear about Tiger all the time is a simple fact, writers and broadcasters have nothing else to write about or speak towards. It is quite easy to make a dollar when there is adversary in the air in both worlds of a golfer in their private and golf setting.
I myself rather enjoy watching the PGA tour on television with so many good golfers getting their just dues. So please PGA and media let Tiger rebuild and forgive by himself in doing this you will have rewarded not only the fans but Tiger as well.
thankss
bob
Of course, we in the Netherlands, heard about Tiger’s “mis-steps”.
* don’t even look for a stone to throw with!
But that’s HIS THING and only he has responsabilities to his wife, kids, mom and himself.
It’s incredable that such a great sportsman has to go trough the dust for the public, like he did. The fans and not-fans, those who now take their opportunity to say: What comes up, must go down…..
Please let it be; time will heal the wounds and we, the public, cannot judge him. Come on: these kind a “things” happen for 10.000 years!
Beside that: who is without sins….. etc. etc.
I won’t even pick up a stone
Have good day everybody.
Gurdow