NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Ernie Els saved making birdies regardless of how he gripped the putter Sunday, and it carried him to a 6-under 65 to win the Hoag Basic and deny Bernhard Langer an opportunity at setting the profession victory mark on the PGA Tour Champions.
Els began the ultimate spherical 5 pictures behind Langer when the large South African rolled in three straight birdie putts to get within the combine, and he closed it out with a 65-yard bunker shot to 12 toes and a birdie on the 18th gap concerning the time Langer started to falter.
Langer has 45 profession wins on the PGA Tour Champions, tied for probably the most with Hale Irwin. The 65-year-old German started the ultimate spherical with a one-shot lead and picked up an early birdie. He was nonetheless tied for the lead when he made two bogeys on the again 9, and did not make birdie on the par 5s.
Langer completed with a 2-over 73 and tied for seventh, three pictures behind. He’s within the discipline subsequent week in Rancho Mirage, California, the place he will get one other shot on the document.
“It is disappointing to shoot 73,” Langer mentioned. “Clearly, Ernie had an excellent day, so my hat’s off to him, however I had a two-shot lead at one level within the spherical and would have liked to play a bit higher.”
Els gained for the primary time since October 2020, and the Corridor of Famer by no means had a win fairly like this. He had been training with the “noticed” placing grip at house in Florida final week however wasn’t certain about whether or not to attempt it in a event.
He modified in the midst of the event, after which after lacking just a few, went again to a cross-handed grip. Both method, he was making sufficient putts to develop into a winner once more.
“It is nonetheless a piece in progress,” Els mentioned.
His largest problem after he completed got here from Steve Stricker and Doug Barron. Stricker, who leads the Charles Schwab Cup standings, made birdies on the 14th and fifteenth, however he missed possibilities coming in and his birdie on the 18th for a 67 left him one behind.
Barron additionally completed one again after ending with six straight pars for a 70.
