Was That Live or on Tape? Els Wins Again

This is becoming a familiar sight on American golf courses these days--Ernie Els on an 18th green in the golden sunlight of an early Sunday evening, raising his arms in victory.

It happened at last week’s U.S. Open, and it happened again Sunday at the Buick Classic at Rye, N.Y., as Els overcame shaky putting and a two-hour rain delay for a two-stroke victory over Jeff Maggert.

Unlike last Sunday at Congressional, when Els hugged his caddie, Ricci Roberts, after making his final putt, this time Maggert gave him a bear hug--and then tried to hip-toss the big South African off his feet.

“I was trying to shove him down into the green there--smash him,” Maggert said. “He’s pretty big. I couldn’t take him down. He was a good rugby player, obviously.”

For the second consecutive year at the Westchester Country Club, nobody could throw Els, though they came closer this year than in 1996, when he ran away from the field by eight strokes.

Els shot a two-under-par 69 for a 72-hole total of 16-under 268, tying the tournament record for the best four-round score held by David Frost (1992) and Lee Janzen (1994).

Els became the first wire-to-wire repeat champion on the PGA Tour since Tom Watson won the Tournament of Champions in 1979 and 1980 at La Costa. Els also became the first golfer since Hale Irwin in 1990 to win on tour the week after winning the U.S. Open.

With Sunday’s victory, Els displaced Tiger Woods as the No. 1 player in golf, according to the Sony world rankings.

“That’s quite surprising,” Els said. “I don’t know what to say about that. I was struggling for six months and you win two tournaments and you’re No. 1.”

Els’ dominance at the Westchester Country Club has never been in question. He has finished second, tied for fourth and won twice since he started playing here in 1994.

“What’s the saying? There are horses for courses, and this is really my golf course,” he said. “Obviously I love this place. I really have a good feel for the course.”

Els won $270,000 for his fifth victory on the American tour. He became the first golfer to defend a PGA title since Phil Mickelson won the Nortel Open in 1996.

*

Graham Marsh two-putted from 45 feet to save par on the 18th hole and held off Hale Irwin by one stroke to win the Nationwide Championship at Alpharetta, Ga.

Marsh shot a two-under 70 and finished the 54 holes at 11-under 205. He earned $195,000, increasing his earnings to $586,726. It was Marsh’s fourth victory since joining the Senior PGA Tour in 1994.

“I had a chance to make a mess of it late,” Marsh said of the par-five final hole. “But I made a nice two-foot putt from 45 feet.”

Marsh had a three-stroke lead, but bogeyed 17 and Irwin’s birdie on 18 closed it to one shot.

Irwin, the senior tour’s leading money-winner, began the final round two shots behind Marsh. He made it close with the strong finish for a 69 and 206, but he could only watch as Marsh maintained his composure on No. 18.

*

Penny Hammel won the LPGA Rochester International at Pittsford, N.Y., when defending champion Dottie Pepper missed a two-foot putt for par on the 18th hole.

Hammel shot a four-under 68 for a nine-under 279 total and earned $90,000 for the victory. It was Hammel’s fourth tour victory, but her first since 1991.

“I’m sorry that she missed it, but I didn’t want to go into a playoff,” Hammel said. “It’s been six years since I won, so I’m just extremely excited.”

Pepper shot a 71 to finish in a three-way tie for second.