Ernie Els has won the 2012 British Open, solidifying his place among the game’s greats with his four major title. The last of those titles had been the British Open in 2002.
Today, Els played a remarkably steady round of 68, including a tough-as-nails 15-foot birdie on the 72nd hole. But Els wouldn’t have won without the aid of a collapse on the back nine by Adam Scott. This is the kind of collapse that can wound a player for years to come.
Scott had the championship won with four holes to play. But he bogeyed each of the last four holes, including a three-putt bogey on the drivable par-4 16th and missing the fairway and finding an fairway bunker on the 18th hole. Did the aggressive style that gave him the lead finally come back to haunt him? Like I said, this one will be tough for Scott to rebound from.
Then again, I thought that about Rory McIlory at the 2011 Masters, and he won the very next major. Byt McIlroy was younger and had more chance for majors down the road. Scott, well, this one is touogh.
Tiger Woods never did make a run at the lead, taking a triple bogey on the sixth hole from a bunker that gave him no stance. He finished with a 73 today and was tied for third overall, four back of Els. Tiger will wonder about the mistakes he made that cost him a chance at a major. It’s now 17 consecutive majors played in the golf world without a win by Woods.
Congratulations to Ernie Els, one of the game’s good guy and now a four-time major championship winner and two-time British Open winner.