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Els wins to cast aside fitness doubts
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-11 22:01
MALELANE, South Africa, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Ernie Els cast aside any lingering
doubts about his fitness with victory by three strokes in the Dunhill
Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club on Sunday.
In what developed into a straight shootout with overnight leader Ulrich van
den Berg, Els shot a four-under-par 68 to finish on 14-under-par 274 and
overtake his fellow South African on the back nine.
Els was playing in just his second comeback tournament after knee surgery
following a sailing accident at the end of July.
"It's a dream, but it took a lot of work and a lot of rehab. After an injury
like that, you're unsure of the future and how it will react," Els told
reporters after his 22nd European Tour triumph.
Van den Berg's lead went up from two strokes overnight to four shots when he
birdied four of the first six holes in the final round, but he bogeyed the
par-four ninth hole and then suffered an awful collapse with a triple bogey on
the par-four 11th and a double-bogey on the short 16th, staggering home in 44
strokes.
Els knew the birdies would come and remained patient despite Van den Berg's
blazing start.
He capitalised on the overnight leader's misfortune with brilliant second
shots on to the par-five 13th and 15th greens to set up two birdies.
FOUND TROUBLE
Van den Berg's four-over-par round of 76 saw him slide into a share of fourth
place. The 30-year-old went into the water on the par-three 16th with a short
tee-shot and found trouble off the tee on the 11th, took a drop and hit his next
shot into a greenside bunker before three-putting.
South African youngsters Louis Oosthuizen and defending champion Charl
Schwartzel were in second position on 11-under-par 277.
Oosthuizen double-bogeyed the ninth hole, after finding water twice, to go
out in 37 strokes, but rallied with four birdies on the back nine.
Schwartzel, who began the round three strokes off the lead, started on the
right note by picking up birdies on the first two holes, but he slipped into a
tie for second with bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes.
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