Ernie wins Open as Scott stumbles

South African claims second Claret Jug as Aussie ace Adam implodes

Something Els: Ernie was all smiles after getting his hands on the Claret Jug at Royal Lytham & St Annes

Ernie Els capitalised on an excruciating meltdown by Adam Scott to win his second Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Leading by four with just four holes to play, Australian ace Scott lost his nerve in dramatic fashion, bogeying his way home to hand a fourth major title on a plate to South African Els, whose nerveless birdie at the last hole proved decisive.

Scott, who had started the day with a four-shot cushion, looked a certainty to claim his maiden major and become Australia’s first Open champion since mentor Greg Norman in 1993 as his closest competitors all fell by the wayside on a dramatic final day on the Lancashire coast.

Graeme McDowell, Brandt Snedeker and Tiger Woods were just some of those whose expected challenge never materialised over the final 18 holes and, in the end, it was Els – six shots adrift at the start of the day and going off at 25/1 with the bookmakers – who burst from the pack with a final round two-under-par 68 to take the Claret Jug, ten years on from his previous victory at Muirfield.

“I’m numb,” said Els, the second consecutive 42-year-old to win the championship following Darren Clarke’s triumph at Royal St George’s last year. “It hasn’t set in. It will probably take quite a few days because I haven’t been in this position for ten years. It’s just crazy, crazy, crazy getting here.

“I just felt good. I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. For some reason I felt something good was going to come out of this week. Even if I didn’t win, I was going to feel good about it because of all the work we’ve put in. My game is back to where I feel I can compete.”

The new champion also spared a thought for his ‘good buddy’ Scott following his dramatic late collapse.

“I really feel for Scottie, I really do,” said Els. “I’ve been there before. I’ve blown majors before and golf tournaments before, and I just hope he doesn’t take it as hard as I did. Thankfully, he’s young enough. He’s 32 years old. He’s got the next ten years that he can win more than I’ve won. I’ve won four now; I think he can win more than that.”

Knowing two pars in his final two holes would be good enough to take the title, Scott inexplicably attempted to go for a tight pin on 17 but found thick rough after coming up short. A bogey there meant he required a birdie on the par-4 last to win outright, with a par being good enough to force a play-off. However, he tugged his drive into a bunker on the left of the fairway and, left with no other option, was forced to splash out sideways.

A gutsy approach to five feet looked to have rescued his chances but, when he was unable to convert the putt, victory belonged to Els.

Afterwards, the shell-shocked Aussie struggled to explain his agonising implosion.

“It was a very sloppy finish by me,” admitted Scott. “I managed to get myself in some trouble and couldn’t make the putts to get out of it on the last four holes. But that’s what was to be expected coming in here. It’s a championship golf course – it’s very difficult – and you’ve got to play some good shots to win these golf tournaments, and I wasn’t able to do that.

“It all comes down to the shot into 17 for me – that’s the one I’m most disappointed with. At that point, I was still well in control of the tournament, and if I had hit a nice shot somewhere to the right of the hole I could go to the last with the lead. So, that was pretty disappointing.”

The windiest conditions of the week make scoring difficult in the final round, with only eight players finishing the tournament in red figures. Indeed, only nine of the 83 players who teed it up in the final round managed to post break par.

Despite a three-over 73, Tiger Woods finished in a share of third alongside compatriot Brandt Snedeker, whilst Graeme McDowell matched playing partner Scott in shooting a 75 to finish in a tie for fifth alongside England’s Luke Donald.

Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts fired a best-of-the-day 65 to finish in a share of seventh with South Africa’s Thomas Aiken to give his Ryder Cup hopes a massive boost.

But, in the end, the day belonged to Els, who admitted he is already looking forward to trying to defend his title at Muirfield next year, the scene of his 2002 triumph.

“I can’t wait to get there,” said the ‘Big Easy’, who missed the Masters earlier this year for the first time in 19 years. “The next four are great. We’ve got great venues and Muirfield has always been my favourite. So everything is groovy at the moment again.”

Additional reporting by Robin Barwick

* Story courtesy of Mercedes-Benz, patron of the 2012 Open Championship. The new Mercedes-Benz City Golf App is now available on iTunes.

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered