It’s Not a Major, but a Major Victory for Els in Bay Hill

Ernie Els buried Tiger Woods and some memories with a Sunday-morning round of 65, and then just enjoyed a leisurely afternoon round of 73 at Orlando, Fla.

At day’s end, he was the most major of a major threesome at the Bay Hill Invitational, winning the PGA Tour event by four shots with a 14-under-par 274.

Els, the defending U.S. Open champion, was paired with Woods, the Masters champion; and Davis Love III, the PGA champion, in a threesome that faced 36 holes as the day began.

At day’s end, Woods wound up 10 strokes behind, and Love was at 285 after rounds of 75-76.

“I was kind of worked up this morning, playing with Tiger and Davis, probably two of the best players in the world,” said Els, who earned $360,000.

“It’s a lot better playing with Tiger,” he said. “You can see what’s going on and what you have to do.”

He could also look back to two months ago in Thailand, where Woods came from eight strokes behind to catch Els in the final round, then beat him in a playoff at the Johnny Walker Classic.

“I should have probably won that tournament,” Els said. “I don’t think you ever forget things like that.”

He didn’t, and the 65 he shot Sunday morning in the tournament’s third round--played on the event’s fourth day because of rain delays--pushed him from two shots behind Woods to six ahead.

Woods struggled off the tee and with his approach shots, closing with rounds of 73 and 76 and tied for 13th.

Love fell out of the competition quickly. He dumped his approach from a fairway bunker into the water on No. 13, then became rattled when a spectator yelled, “C’mon Davis, this isn’t the Ryder Cup.”

Love took double bogey on that hole, then followed with a three-putt from 40 feet for another bogey.

With Woods and Love dispatched, it remained for others to take their place. Jeff Maggert had rounds of 69-68 and tied for second with Bob Estes.

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Dale Douglass and Charles Coody picked up the daily double at Amelia Island, Fla., when Douglass’ 25-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole won the Legends of Golf tournament.

The Coody-Douglass team edged out Hugh Baiocchi and David Graham after the two teams finished the 54-hole senior event at 24-under-par 194.

Coody and Douglass became the first players to win both the Legendary Division (ages 60-69) and the Legends title.

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Liselotte Neumann of Sweden sank a 3 1/2-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole to beat Rosie Jones and end Laura Davies’ four-year winning run at the Standard Register Ping tournament at Phoenix.

Neumann, who has finished twice this season, started the final round with a four-shot lead over Jones and needed all of it, shooting a 1-over-par 74 while Jones closed with a 70.

After completing 72 holes at 13-under 279, the two went back to No. 18 for the playoff to determine who earned the $127,500 winner’s purse.