From PGA Tour Champions
Ernie Els fired a bogey-free six-under 65 on Sunday to come from five shots back and win the PGA Tour Champions Hoag Classic at the Newport Beach Country Club, his first victory since the 2020 SAS Championship.
Els, 53, quickly cut into Bernhard Langer’s lead with four birdies among his first seven holes then added clutch birdies at 16 and 18 to take the lead.
“I saw the weather report this morning and it looked like it was going to get gusty and maybe a little rainy, and that’s exactly what happened,” said Els, who also won the Hoag in 2020. “So I felt if I could get off to a decent start and get myself established and take it from there, and that’s exactly what happened. I almost played a perfect round. If I didn’t miss that little short little putt on 15, it would have been fantastic.
“But it’s still fantastic obviously winning. Yeah, this is hard scoring. You know, the last five, six holes were tougher than we normally get it. Just excited to win again. I haven’t won too many times out here. You’ve got to start somewhere.”
Langer was attempting to break his tie with Hale Irwin for most victories in PGA Tour Champions history which stands at 45.
Langer, 65, held the lead until a three-putt bogey on the par-four 14th dropped him to 11-under. He shot a two-over 73, which allowed several players to get into the mix.
One of those players who was in the mix all day was Doug Barron, who was in the final group with Langer, trailing him by just a stroke. He needed a birdie on the par-five 18th to tie Els, but by the time he reached the hole, rain was coming down harder and the hole was playing 544 yards into the wind.
Still, Barron hit his approach from 110 yards to five feet. But he pushed the putt by on the right edge, handing Els the third victory of his PGA Tour Champions career.
The victory pushed Els to third in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, behind leader Steve Stricker, who tied Barron for second place at 12-under, and David Toms, who won last week at the Cologuard Classic.
Retief Goosen closed with a 70 to finish at five-under in a share of 37th.
