ERNIE ELS' FIRST WIN INUNITED STATES SINCE
2004, LUKE DONALD
RUNNER-UP IN HONDA
Ernie Els was overjoyed to end his long wait for a US PGA Tour victory after the South African overcame a three-shot deficit to win the Honda Classic at PGA National, Palm Beach Garden in Florida on Sunday.
Els fired a three-under-par 67 to finish on six-under par, a shot clear of Englishman Luke Donald, and claim his first victory since the American Express Championship in 2004.
He said: "I really feel very grateful and happy. I've won tournaments around the world but obviously to win over here, it's been really my goal. So it's a great feeling."
Els, who went out ahead of overnight leaders Luke Donald, Mark Calcavecchia and Matt Jones, topped the leaderboard on seven under par before he bogeyed the 17th and then set the clubhouse target of 274.
However, the chasing trio could not catch the veteran over the final holes of a tough course made even harder by the windy conditions as all three eventually recorded over-par rounds. Donald shot a one-over 71 for 275, while Calcavecchia, who was seven under par for the tournament with eight to play and level with Els at that poing, and Jones each recorded three-over 73s.
Nathan Green finished third on four-under after posting a 67, while Calcavecchia and Jones tied for fourth with Robert Allenby, who shot a 70, at three-under.
Els gained early momentum after sinking birdies on four of his first seven holes and held on to win despite the dropped shot.
Els added: "Chasing, you need tough conditions because if the wind wasn't blowing, the leader shoots 66 and you've got no chance. So I was happy that the wind blew and I knew that I'm not too bad of a wind player.
"I've played a lot of golf around the world, and obviously the British Open, so I felt quite comfortable with that. This has been a really wonderful week, never shooting over par on a very, very difficult golf course. So I'm very pleased."
Donald dropped off the pace with consecutive bogeys at the 12th and 13th but picked up a birdie at the par-4 16th. However, his approach to the 18th missed the green to the right and his chip for birdie stopped a few feet short.
He said: It wasn't a particularly good third shot. I just fanned it a little bit and it really wasn't a very makeable chip. I hit it right on line, I just came up a few rolls short. I don't really have regrets about that shot. I have more regrets about the bogeys on 12 and 13."
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4 x 70)
274 Ernie Els (Rsa) 67 70 70 67
275 Luke Donald (Eng) 64 74 66 71
276 Nathan Green (Aus) 71 70 68 67
277 Mark Calcavecchia 70 67 67 73, Robert Allenby (Aus) 69 68 70 70, Matthew Jones (Aus) 66 67 71 73
278 Brian Davis (Eng) 65 67 73 73, Michael Letzig 70 69 68 71, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 71 70 68 69, John Mallinger 68 67 73 70, Alex Cejka (Ger) 69 71 68 70
279 Ben Crane 69 66 71 73, Brett Quigley 67 70 70 72, Jose Coceres (Arg) 68 69 68 74
280 Dudley Hart 68 66 72 74, John Merrick 72 69 68 71, Justin Rose (Eng) 72 70 71 67, Cliff Kresge 70 71 66 73, Shane Bertsch 70 69 71 70
281 Kenny Perry 73 67 69 72, Jerry Kelly 68 71 72 70, Chad Campbell 70 73 67 71, Joe Durant 68 69 73 71
282 Stephen Marino 69 71 72 70, Bart Bryant 69 72 70 71, Roland Thatcher 68 73 67 74, Camilo Villegas (Col) 72 69 72 69, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 72 66 70 74, Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 68 75 69 70
283 Zach Johnson 74 69 68 72, Davis Love III 70 73 69 71, Woody Austin 70 73 69 71, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl) 67 74 67 75, Peter Lonard (Aus) 71 71 69 72, J J Henry 69 73 70 71, Justin Leonard 69 71 69 74, Paul Goydos 68 74 70 71
284 Jimmy Walker 67 75 70 72, Marc Turnesa 70 71 69 74, Kevin Sutherland 67 74 71 72, Robert Gamez 71 68 73 72, Nicholas Thompson 71 72 72 69
285 Arron Oberholser 69 75 65 76, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 73 69 70 73, John Senden (Aus) 77 67 69 72, Matt Kuchar 73 67 69 76, Kenneth Ferrie (Eng) 69 72 67 77, Heath Slocum 73 71 69 72
286 Brad Adamonis 76 66 69 75, Robert Garrigus 71 70 71 74, Vaughn Taylor 70 69 74 73, Eric Axley 69 71 72 74, Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 75 69 68 74, Anthony Kim 72 69 70 75, Richard S Johnson (Swe) 72 69 71 74, Richard Green (Aus) 72 71 71 72, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 74 68 70 74, Carlos Franco (Par) 72 72 69 73, Briny Baird 70 69 76 71
287 David Lutterus (Rsa) 74 69 71 73, Jeff Maggert 70 71 71 75, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 73 70 71 73, Tag Ridings 69 75 73 70, Kevin Streelman 73 71 69 74
288 Will MacKenzie 69 74 69 76, Patrick Sheehan 70 74 72 72, Scott Hoch 75 69 72 72, Ben Curtis 73 71 66 78
289 Charlie Wi (Kor) 72 70 70 77, Frank Lickliter II 72 71 72 74
290 Glen Day 73 70 74 73
291 Yong-eun Yang (Kor) 69 71 80 71, Peter Jordan 75 67 72 77
292 Alan Morin 72 72 75 73, Boo Weekley 70 72 70 80
293 Tim Herron 69 73 73 78
294 Jin Park (Kor) 73 71 71 79
Ernie Els was overjoyed to end his long wait for a US PGA Tour victory after the South African overcame a three-shot deficit to win the Honda Classic at PGA National, Palm Beach Garden in Florida on Sunday.
Els fired a three-under-par 67 to finish on six-under par, a shot clear of Englishman Luke Donald, and claim his first victory since the American Express Championship in 2004.
He said: "I really feel very grateful and happy. I've won tournaments around the world but obviously to win over here, it's been really my goal. So it's a great feeling."
Els, who went out ahead of overnight leaders Luke Donald, Mark Calcavecchia and Matt Jones, topped the leaderboard on seven under par before he bogeyed the 17th and then set the clubhouse target of 274.
However, the chasing trio could not catch the veteran over the final holes of a tough course made even harder by the windy conditions as all three eventually recorded over-par rounds. Donald shot a one-over 71 for 275, while Calcavecchia, who was seven under par for the tournament with eight to play and level with Els at that poing, and Jones each recorded three-over 73s.
Nathan Green finished third on four-under after posting a 67, while Calcavecchia and Jones tied for fourth with Robert Allenby, who shot a 70, at three-under.
Els gained early momentum after sinking birdies on four of his first seven holes and held on to win despite the dropped shot.
Els added: "Chasing, you need tough conditions because if the wind wasn't blowing, the leader shoots 66 and you've got no chance. So I was happy that the wind blew and I knew that I'm not too bad of a wind player.
"I've played a lot of golf around the world, and obviously the British Open, so I felt quite comfortable with that. This has been a really wonderful week, never shooting over par on a very, very difficult golf course. So I'm very pleased."
Donald dropped off the pace with consecutive bogeys at the 12th and 13th but picked up a birdie at the par-4 16th. However, his approach to the 18th missed the green to the right and his chip for birdie stopped a few feet short.
He said: It wasn't a particularly good third shot. I just fanned it a little bit and it really wasn't a very makeable chip. I hit it right on line, I just came up a few rolls short. I don't really have regrets about that shot. I have more regrets about the bogeys on 12 and 13."
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4 x 70)
274 Ernie Els (Rsa) 67 70 70 67
275 Luke Donald (Eng) 64 74 66 71
276 Nathan Green (Aus) 71 70 68 67
277 Mark Calcavecchia 70 67 67 73, Robert Allenby (Aus) 69 68 70 70, Matthew Jones (Aus) 66 67 71 73
278 Brian Davis (Eng) 65 67 73 73, Michael Letzig 70 69 68 71, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 71 70 68 69, John Mallinger 68 67 73 70, Alex Cejka (Ger) 69 71 68 70
279 Ben Crane 69 66 71 73, Brett Quigley 67 70 70 72, Jose Coceres (Arg) 68 69 68 74
280 Dudley Hart 68 66 72 74, John Merrick 72 69 68 71, Justin Rose (Eng) 72 70 71 67, Cliff Kresge 70 71 66 73, Shane Bertsch 70 69 71 70
281 Kenny Perry 73 67 69 72, Jerry Kelly 68 71 72 70, Chad Campbell 70 73 67 71, Joe Durant 68 69 73 71
282 Stephen Marino 69 71 72 70, Bart Bryant 69 72 70 71, Roland Thatcher 68 73 67 74, Camilo Villegas (Col) 72 69 72 69, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 72 66 70 74, Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 68 75 69 70
283 Zach Johnson 74 69 68 72, Davis Love III 70 73 69 71, Woody Austin 70 73 69 71, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl) 67 74 67 75, Peter Lonard (Aus) 71 71 69 72, J J Henry 69 73 70 71, Justin Leonard 69 71 69 74, Paul Goydos 68 74 70 71
284 Jimmy Walker 67 75 70 72, Marc Turnesa 70 71 69 74, Kevin Sutherland 67 74 71 72, Robert Gamez 71 68 73 72, Nicholas Thompson 71 72 72 69
285 Arron Oberholser 69 75 65 76, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 73 69 70 73, John Senden (Aus) 77 67 69 72, Matt Kuchar 73 67 69 76, Kenneth Ferrie (Eng) 69 72 67 77, Heath Slocum 73 71 69 72
286 Brad Adamonis 76 66 69 75, Robert Garrigus 71 70 71 74, Vaughn Taylor 70 69 74 73, Eric Axley 69 71 72 74, Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 75 69 68 74, Anthony Kim 72 69 70 75, Richard S Johnson (Swe) 72 69 71 74, Richard Green (Aus) 72 71 71 72, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 74 68 70 74, Carlos Franco (Par) 72 72 69 73, Briny Baird 70 69 76 71
287 David Lutterus (Rsa) 74 69 71 73, Jeff Maggert 70 71 71 75, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 73 70 71 73, Tag Ridings 69 75 73 70, Kevin Streelman 73 71 69 74
288 Will MacKenzie 69 74 69 76, Patrick Sheehan 70 74 72 72, Scott Hoch 75 69 72 72, Ben Curtis 73 71 66 78
289 Charlie Wi (Kor) 72 70 70 77, Frank Lickliter II 72 71 72 74
290 Glen Day 73 70 74 73
291 Yong-eun Yang (Kor) 69 71 80 71, Peter Jordan 75 67 72 77
292 Alan Morin 72 72 75 73, Boo Weekley 70 72 70 80
293 Tim Herron 69 73 73 78
294 Jin Park (Kor) 73 71 71 79
Labels: Pro Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, March 03, 2008
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