Els Falls Short at South Africa Open
Twin opening rounds of 67 had Ernie Els in second place in the tournament after the first two days, but Els struggled with a 77 in the third round before charging back in the final round Sunday at Pearl Valley Golf Estates. Els birdied 5 holes on the back nine for a 64 that pulled him into a tie for third.
From SouthAfricaOpen.com:
Paarl, 21 December 2008: Richard Sterne claimed back-to-back victories on the European Tour when he won the South African Open in a playoff at Pearl Valley Golf Estates on Sunday amidst one of the most memorable summers in South African golf history.
Sterne birdied the first playoff hole to edge out Ireland’s Gareth Maybin for the title. The win comes after his triumph in last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, and this is also his third European Tour victory of the year after winning the Joburg Open in January.
The strong finish bodes well for Els, who has stated that he is focused on winning a major in 2009.
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