The fourth day of the Kualig Companies Championship served up a dramatic finale at Firestone as Ernie Els fended off challenges from behind to come out victorious for his fifth Champions’ Tour win.
‘The Big Easy’ found it anything but, facing runs from Y.E. Yang and K.J. Choi on the final afternoon to win by one, and claim his first Major on the Champions Tour, ahead of the Senior Open Championship in a fortnight. Darren Clarke’s two-over saw him finish tied for 33rd on +4.
Els came into Sunday with all the experience anyone could wish for on the final day, and that was on show on a front nine of three-under, heading out bogey-free to turn on 32. Els had company however, as Yang made the turn at four-under to challenge the top.
Steve Stricker has as much experience around this course as anyone and was lurking around the lead all week. But Firestone bit back on the final day, and disaster struck and he went bogey- double bogey after finding himself in the trees on the 14th, and that signalled the end to Stricker’s hopes for an 18th win on the Champions Tour.
Meanwhile, Yang was on a flyer. Four-under for his front nine, he was right in the mix at the top of the leaderboard. A couple of holes ahead of Els, Yang had the opportunity to stick a number in the clubhouse. His first dropped shot on the par-3 12th was recovered well with birdie on the following hole and he’d pick up another on the par-3 15th, to move to 10-under. Yang was two holes ahead of Els, but his bogey on the 72nd hole opened the door for the South African.
Els had bogeyed the 10th to start his back-nine but snatched that back on the par-4 14th. While Yang was ahead, walking to the 18th with a chance to win or tie the match, Els bogeyed with a six on the par-5 16th. After Yang’s bogey on the 18th the final two had to be clean for Els. And a par-par finish would secure it for the South African. Two-under for the day and -10 for the week and another big major win for the ‘Big Easy’, his first on the senior tour.
“Yeah, this is going to still have to settle in a little bit,” Els said afterwards. “It was quite a day. I was really, really good there at stages and then I had a really good front nine, got myself in the position that I wanted to be.”
Asked about how it feels to win on such a difficult golf course as Firestone: “Yeah, I think so. I really think playing here at Firestone with my history with this golf course, you know, played it for so many years in the World Series of Golf and then the Bridgestone, then the WGC, I guess Bridgestone was still the same sponsor,” he commented, adding: “Then since playing the Champions Tour major here, I played much better here. I think I had a bunch of top-5s now. So it’s all about driving for me on this golf course. If I’m driving it half decent, I’m a pretty good iron player, and knowing that it’s going to be a tough scoring week, 1 doesn’t feel like I have to shoot 64. And if you do, you’re probably just going to shoot one 64 out here, it’s such a tough course.”
Jerry Kelly couldn’t get his putter going all day on the final round but battled well to come in one-under and consolidate third spot on seven-under. K. J. Choi dropped back after an early charge; his three-under outward-nine cancelled out by three given back on the way home. Tied fourth for the Korean alongside Stricker who will rue the 14th on Firestone and what might have been.
With all eyes turning to Royal Troon and the Open Championship next week, the Champions Tour funfair will decamp to Carnoustie for the Senior Open Championship. Another famous old course for the weathered pros to test themselves in the Scottish countryside. July 25th to the 28th will test the most experienced of these players in the windy Scottish summer.