Els Crafts 'Flawless' Vintage Win at Doral

DORAL, Fla. -- As dusk overtook daylight in South Florida and shadows slowly stretched across Doral's Blue Monster Sunday evening, the reinvention of Ernie Els as a world-class golfer was announced loud and clear.

For the first time in more than two seasons, and only the second since 2004, Els won a PGA Tour golf tournament. And not just any PGA Tour event, the World Golf Championship's CA Championship featuring a select international field.

"This means so much," Els said. "I didn't think it was ever going to happen again.

"But I felt all week the work that I did, that I finally had to trust it at some stage. I really just wanted to prove myself, and just play good golf."

Mission accomplished. The 40-year-old South African crafted a bogey-free final-round 66 to finish 18-under and four shots in front of young countryman Charl Schwatzel. He did nothing wrong and a lot of things exceptionally well.

But best of all, he looked like the Ernie Els of old, not an old Ernie Els.

"All the credit to Ernie," Schwartzel said. "He played flawless golf. Whenever anyone makes six birdies and no bogeys on a windy day like this, you're almost bound to win."

Point well made. Els' golf was at times brilliant and never less than workmanlike. He birdied three of his first four holes to break a third-round deadlock with the 25-year-old Schwartzel and was never overtaken. He put together a streak of five consecutive one-putts. He twice made jaw-dropping par saves, hitting a round-house hook to the green from behind a stand of trees on the sixth hole and then at No. 14 rolling in an unlikely 24-foot putt.

"There's always a turning point, and it's amazing, you can just see it," Schwartzel said. "When he knocked it in [at 14], I just sort of thought to myself, 'Don't let this be the turning point.' But in the back of you mind ... that was big for him."

Really huge is the promise delivered by Els' 17th career win.

"I'm 40 years old now and I've had a tough run," Els said. "My hairs are standing up. Whooooooo!"

Welcome back. For the week, Els led the 68-player field in birdies (23), was second in greens hit in regulation (50 of 72) and fifth in putting (26.8 per round).

No one in golf, not even Els, was totally optimistic the man called "Big Easy" could ever find his way back.

He won two U.S. Opens and a British by the time he was 32, but the road to greatness soon led to a minefield of potholes. Major knee surgery following a water sports injury and the arrival of a guy named Tiger Woods veered Els off his seemingly destined course. There also was the distraction of young son Ben being diagnosed with autism.

Once a hands-down choice as the golfer most likely to unseat Woods as world No. 1, Els fell to No. 20 in the rankings -- not exactly a disappearing act, still more warmup than lead performer.

Sunday readjusted the parameters.

"I said a bit too much last time I won," Els said. "I was a bit too cocky. I just want to enjoy this one. This took so much work. A lot of people have said that the older you get the tougher it is to win, and that's very true.

"I'm 40 years old and, you know, it feels like in my 20s I had so many chances and I didn't quite take them. Now you are older, you don't get as many chances. You've got to try to take them when they come. So this is nice."

"I said a bit too much last time I won. I was a bit too cocky. I just want to enjoy this one. This took so much work. A lot of people have said that the older you get the tougher it is to win, and that's very true."
-- Ernie Els Even without the feel-good finish for Els, the final pairing was going to be the day's story. By the time the leading twosome made the turn, pretty much every one else had fallen off the pace. A threesome of American Matt Kuchar, German Martin Kaymer and Irishman Padraig Harrington shared third place, seven shots back of Els.

That left the two South Africans to duke it out, a friendly showdown between "a little brother to me" (Els), and "my childhood hero" (Schwartzel).

Long ago as a young pro in South Africa Els and Schwartzel's father played together and even won a team event at partners.

Schwartzel used to watch Els' instructional videos. When the five-time European Tour winner decided to come to the U.S. this year to test his game, he contacted Els to request a chance to share some practice time.

He ended up accepting an invitation to stay in Els' home in Jupiter, about 40 miles north of Doral, before coming to Doral.

As Els stood on first tee Sunday preparing to begin play, the novelty of such a coincidence struck.

"Right before I hit my first tee shot," he said. "It's still a little surreal for me. I don't know how Charl felt about it, but I felt kind of awkward, because, you know, this is this young kid, he's still like 15 years old in my eyes. He seems so young still.

"It just felt awkward, him trying to win the golf tournament. I'm the old man, he's the youngster."

That's what's cool about being a winner. The feeling is ageless.