Ernie Els’ closing five-under-par 67 wasn’t enough to catch the winner on Sunday in the final round of the PGA Tour Champions’ Mitsubishi Electric Classic as he finished just two shots off the pace.
Els took fifth place on his own after a round of six birdies and a bogey left him just short of winner Steve Flesch, who charged with a seven-under 65 to finish on 11-under, one ahead of an equally hard-charging Padraig Harrington who closed with an eight-under 64. Harrington shared second with Fred Couples and David Toms.
Els started with a birdie on the first and added another on the sixth before making bogey on the par-three eighth when he was unable to get up and down from the fringe of the green. But he finished with a furious charge, making birdies on 13, 14, 17 and 18 to come up just short.
Retief Goosen finished with a two-under 70 to take up a share of 10th on five-under. David Frost was in 58th on four-over after rounds of 69-77-74.
