Ernie Els wins Honda Classic

This time, Ernie Els could enjoy someone else's final-round misfortune.

Ending nearly a four-year drought between PGA Tour victories, Els shot a 3-under 67 Sunday to win The Honda Classic. He finished at 6 under, one shot better than Luke Donald (71) and two ahead of Nathan Green (67).

"It's been a long time coming," Els said.

Els and Mark Calcavecchia were tied for the lead as the sun began setting on PGA National. But Calcavecchia hit into a greenside bunker at the par-3 15th, and his shot from the sand looked fine when it hit the green.

Somehow, it never stopped rolling.

The ball came to rest on a rock ledge across the green. Calcavecchia walked over, tossed the ball into the water and made a double bogey to give Els the outright lead. Els made a cool par on the par-5 finishing hole, then waited to see if anyone would match his score.

No one did, although Donald had a chance on the last. His birdie chip from just off the green stopped a couple feet shy of the cup, sealing Els' win.

And with that, Els got the huge shot of confidence that he's sought for so long, along with his first PGA Tour win since the 2004 American Express Championship in Ireland. Plus, he'll jump a spot to third in the world rankings, passing Steve Stricker.

"I really played pretty well today," Els said...

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Accenture Match Play - Els heads home

Ernie Els became the first big name to fall by the wayside when he was crushed 6&5 by American Jonathan Byrd in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Wednesday.

The South African world number four bogeyed four of the first nine holes before losing the match on the 13th green, the fifth time he has lost in the tournament's opening round in eight appearances.

Byrd, world-ranked 63rd, reeled off six birdies in a flawless display at Dove Mountain's Gallery Golf Club for a winning start on his debut in the first World Golf Championships (WGC) event of the year.

"I feel good about where my game is and in a week like this you've got all to gain, nothing to lose," a beaming Byrd told reporters.

"I went out there and played some really good golf. I barely got in the field so I was excited about being here, and excited about having a good match with Ernie. It was fun."

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Golf News: Indian Masters Day 2 Wrap

Northern Ireland's Damien McGrane stroked a majestic 69 to take a two shot lead at the Indian Masters on Friday, as Ernie Els made amends for his disastrous opening round to scrape through the cut.

Another Irishman Graeme McDowell, who finished fifth behind Tiger Woods in Dubai on Sunday, shares second place with South Africa's Hendrik Buhrmann and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin at six under for the tournament on 138.

But on a cold and grey Delhi day first round leader Jyoti Randhawa lost the plot, firing a five-over-par 77 to be six behind McGrane.

Former Ryder Cup star Thomas Bjorn remains in the hunt at four under while US veteran Mark O'Meara is on the fringes of the leaderboard after a 73 left him six strokes adrift.

World number four Els, who was rattled by a nine on Thursday, looked to be heading for an early plane home after bogeying the first but he rallied with an eagle at the eighth and a birdie on the 14th.

And he fared much better on the par-5 18th that undid him in round one, sinking a birdie for a 70 to leave him nine behind McGrane.

"Just the one hole yesterday and it could have been a little bit different, but it was a tough day for me today. I find it very difficult scoring on this golf course," said Els.

"If I can somehow get to something like six under on Saturday, I might have a chance on Sunday."

McGrane, who is looking for his first European Tour victory, found the conditions were much harder than on the opening day.

"The temperature was really cold out there and it was a lot more difficult than Thursday," said the unassuming 36-year-old.

"So three-under for the day is a good number and I'm happy with that."

He forecast a winning score of around 16-under-par, and said he would stick to the same strategy over the weekend...

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Golf News: Indian Masters Day 1 Wrap

Ernie Els shot a horror quadruple bogey to lag 10 behind leader Jyoti Randhawa at the inaugural Indian Masters on Thursday, with the local star eagling the last for a two shot lead.

Irishman Damien McGrane played two rounds with Tiger Woods at the Dubai Desert Classic last week and the world number one's magic clearly rubbed off as he fired a 67 to lie second, alongside Englishman Richard Finch.

Rejuvenated Dane Thomas Bjorn, Delhi resident Shiv Kapur, and Spain's Jose Mauel Lara lurk one further back at the 2.5 million dollars event, while US veteran Mark O'Meara rolled back the years with a 69.

Randhawa, who posted four top-10 finishes on the European Tour last year, used his local knowledge to good effect, putting together three birdies and two eagles.

But fellow Indian Jeev Milkha Singh, seen as a favourite to win, succumbed to the pressure with a poor 77.

Randhawa has won on the Lodhi course five times before and he thought back to those victories to tailor his game.

"My past performances helped a lot," he said.

"I've won a few times here before and I thought back to that and it helped. What I did before, I did again.

"As long as I can keep to the same things and handle the pressure this week, I'll be alright."

McGrane has never won a European Tour event but was boosted by playing with Woods, although he was reluctant to give credit to the world's best.

"I enjoyed playing with Tiger, he encouraged me all the way. It's nice to play with the world's top player and survive the experience," he said.

"But every week is a new beginning, a new start. It was all about making the birdies whenever possible today..."

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Tiger Woods wins the Dubai Desert Classic

Tiger Woods birdied his last two holes Sunday to rally from a four-shot deficit and win the Dubai Desert Classic, starting his season with two victories that looked nothing alike.

One week after winning the Buick Invitational by eight shots, Woods had to birdie five of his last seven holes for a 7-under 65, then wait to see if Ernie Els could catch him.

Needing a birdie on the par-5 18th to force a playoff, Els hit his tee shot into the water and made bogey.

"To go 2-for-2, it's a pretty good start, isn't it?" Woods said.

This is the third time he has started a season with two straight victories, and it was another sign that the world's No. 1 player could be headed for a big year. Woods now has won his last four official tournaments, and six of his last seven dating to the Bridgestone Invitational in early August.

He also won his unofficial Target World Challenge by seven shots in December.

Woods birdied his last two holes for a 14-under 274 and a one-shot victory over Martin Kaymer of Germany. Woods had already finished when Kaymer, who won the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship two weeks ago, closed with a birdie-birdie-eagle for a 66.

It was a devastating blow to Els.

The 38-year-old South African, who has finished runner-up to Woods more times (seven) than any other player, is in the middle of his three-year plan to become No. 1 in the world. He said recently he needed to start winning, and this was the perfect occasion.

Instead, the Big Easy closed with a 71 and tied for third at 276 with fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen. It was the second time in three years that Els hit into the water on the 18th at Dubai and lost to Woods. In 2006, it happened during a sudden-death playoff.

Woods lost momentum with bogeys on the sixth and ninth holes, but he poured it on along the back nine with seven birdies to capture the Dubai Desert Classic for the second time.

It was his 72nd career victory, 62 of those on the PGA Tour.

My Thoughts
Tiger is amazing - need I say any more? Could this be his best year yet?

Ernie Els Swing Vision (video)

You can imagine that the big easy got his nickname because he doesn't get stressed or takes the game less seriously than some, but it is actually because of he makes swinging a golf club look so easy.

As I type this Ernie is leading the Dubai Desert Classic and while I was admiring his swing I thought I would try and find some swing vision to show my readers. It really is one of the best golf swings going around, and has been for some time - Enjoy!

Dubai Desert Classic Round 3 Wrap

Tiger Woods hopes of a fifth consecutive tournament win nosedived here on Saturday when Ernie Els swept by him to take the lead after three rounds of the Dubai Desert Classic.

Woods ended his run of 21 straight sub-par rounds dating back five months with a lacklustre one-over 73.

Els, looking for a record fourth win in Dubai, equalled the best round of the tournament to date with a seven-under 65 sparked by an eagle-three at the 10th.

The big South African, who lost to Woods in a playoff here two years ago had started the day trailing the American by four strokes, By the end of it he led him by four and was in pole position for Sunday's climax.

"All in all it was a round I really needed," said Els who was 11-under for the tournament.

"I probably needed two 64s to have half a chance in the tournament, and as it turned out, a 65 today and probably I need a low one tomorrow.

"I can't see Henrik (Stenson) with Tiger and the other guys not shooting low."

Woods said he had left himself with too much to do on the greens by hitting poor approach shots.

"Consequently I was lag-putting a lot. Never really gave myself a lot of looks at birdies."

It was far from being a two-horse race, however, as defending champion Henrik Stenson, who edged Els and Woods last year, stayed firmly in the hunt with a 68 which left him just one stroke off the lead and playing with Els in the final pairing on Sunday.

"I was two behind Ernie last year and now I'm one behind. I don't know if that's a good omen or not," said the Swede who finished second at both Abu Dhabi and Doha in the two lead-up events to Dubai.

In-form Englishman Lee Westwood (68) was tied for third with Ulsterman Graeme McDowell (69) a furter two strokes back, while Woods closing bogey dropped him into a share of fourth place at seven-under with six others including Sergio Garcia (70).

Colin Montgomerie's hopes of getting back inside the top 50 in time to qualify for The Masters were dealt a blow meanwhile when he could only manage a 73 leaving him well down the field...

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Golf News - Alfred Dunhill: Another Crazy Final Hole

Ernie Els suffered a final hole collapse to hand England's John Bickerton a third European Tour title in the Alfred Dunhill Championship on Sunday.

Els five came to the par-five 18th hole at Leopard Creek Country Club with a two-shot lead over Bickerton, who had earlier fired a classy four-under-par 68 to finish on 13-under.

But the triple major champion twice found the water surrounding the green to leave with a triple-bogey eight, finishing one stroke behind Bickerton on 12 under par.

England's Lee Slattery was tied with Els in second place after a solid one-under-par 71.

The 37-year-old Bickerton did not watch the closing hole of the tournament and was in disbelief when he was told he had won.

"I'm in shock. I was just around the corner talking to a cameraman and I thought I might have a chance of finishing second," he said.

"I had no idea what was happening behind me and it's all a bit sudden..."

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Els wins seventh World Matchplay title

Ernie Els has done something no one else has winning the HSBC World Match Play Championship for he seventh time and he did it in impressive style. When you consider that you must beat 4 players straight to win the tournament it is a fairly impressive result, even with the top players missing. Els beat Colin Montgomerie, Andres Romero, Henrik Stenson and, finally, the reigning US Open Champion Cabrera 6&4 to win the 1000000 pound prize money. The win shoots Els to the top of the European order of merit.

It might be said that this is a win that Els needed having gone winless since last December in a streak that even had sports writers saying he was past it. In an interview Ernie told reporters:

“This is a very important tournament to me and my career. We had some really fine players here this week and it needed good golf to get through.

“Obviously the World Number One, Mr Woods, wasn’t here this week but it’s a tough one to win. It’s very satisfying to win any tournament but I’ve always been a fan of this kind of match play event.

“I’ve played some good golf these last two years and although it might seem that I’m a very patient guy, in fact I am quite impatient when it comes to getting results. So to get a win, and to play the way I did this week, is really satisfying. Hopefully this opens up the doors for me to get other wins.”

Path to Victory

Ernie Els	v	Colin Montgomerie
Ernie Els won 6 & 5

Andres Romero	v	Ernie Els
Ernie Els won 6 & 5

Henrik Stenson	v	Ernie Els
Ernie Els won 3 & 2

Angel Cabrera	v	Ernie Els
Ernie Els won 6 & 4