Ernie Els carded a five-under-par 65 as he finished in a share of eighth on Monday behind a dramatic play-off in the US Senior Open at Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island.
Els made four birdies on the front nine, and two more with a bogey on the back nine as he moved to six-under-par for the championship with the best final round of all.
Richard Bland of England shot a four-under 66 in the final round, catching leader Hiroyuki Fujita of Japan after rain postponed the finish to Monday morning and then banged a chip shot off the pin to beat him on the fourth play-off hole and win his second straight senior major.
The Senior PGA champion gained five shots on Fujita in the final round, which was delayed by thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon with eight holes remaining. When the golfers returned to the par-70, 7,024-yard Newport Country Club on Monday, Fujita’s consistency – he hit 38 straight fairways in regulation before the rain delay – had abandoned him.
After both posted 13-under in regulation and matched scores in a two-hole, aggregate play-off and the first hole of sudden death, the golfers returned to the par-four, 466-yard 18th hole for the fourth time of the day. Bland’s shot from a greenside bunker caught the pin and settled two inches from the cup; Fujita missed a 25-footer to prolong the tournament, and Bland tapped in to claim his second senior major in as many tries.
After a fine start, Retief Goosen’s third round of eight-over 78 cost him dearly, and a closing two-under 68 saw him finish on level-par in a share of 31st.
