Els wins at Doral, now No. 8

Sunday, March 14, 2010
© Copyright 2013 Albany Herald

Photo by Scott Chancey

DORAL, Fla. -- Ernie Els has ended the longest drought of his career by winning the CA Championship at Doral in a duel with South African protege Charl Schwartzel.

Els played the final 23 holes on the Blue Monster without a bogey and closed with a 6-under 66 on Sunday for a four-shot victory that was far closer than the margin suggests.

He had a one-shot lead as he stood over a 25-foot par putt on the 14th hole and was relieved to see it fall on the final turn. Schwartzel fell apart after that, going bunker-to-bunker on the 15th for a bogey and missing short putts on the next two holes. He shot a 70.

Els last won two years ago in the Honda Classic. He becomes only the fifth player with multiple wins in the World Golf Championships, joining Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke, Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson.

The victory moves him to No. 8 in the world.

PGA TOUR: Chad Collins birdied the par-5 fifth hole for a share of the Puerto Rico Open lead with Kevin Streelman just before third-round play was suspended because of darkness Sunday in the rain-delayed PGA Tour event.

Collins and Streelman, who birdied the par-4 seventh hole as darkness descended over Trump International Golf Club-Puerto Rico, were 12 under.

LPGA TOUR: Taiwan's Yani Tseng won the Women's Australian Open, birdieing seven of the last 12 holes for a bogey-free 7-under 66 and a three-stroke victory over 2009 winner Laura Davies.

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