Players reflect on a Grand Slam well fought

The man they call the Big Easy found life anything but as Port Royal showed its teeth this afternoon.

But the three-time major winner, who also owns his own vineyard in his homeland, earned the right to raise a toast to this breathtaking course after a sensational comeback to topple long-time leader David Toms.

“I think I’ll take some of that dark rum,” Els reflected after pulling on the victor’s pink jacket following his single stroke win.

He also takes home the $600,000 winners purse  - a “bit of Christmas money” for the big man.

Els had missed a succession of birdie chances over both days. But he finally found his focus on the greens to contrive an unlikely victory on the toughest section of the course.

With a howling Atlantic gale beginning to blow in from the south shore, he showed the mettle of a champion, reeling off three successive birdies at 14, 15 and 16 to turn the tables on Toms.

It had seemed as if the American’s name was written on the trophy when he twice chipped in from distance to maintain a two-shot lead with four holes to play.

Toms, staring disaster in the face on the 14th, pulled off the shot of the afternoon, holing a difficult uphill chip from below the green, to salvage par.

It was even better than a similar effort at the 12th for birdie, and at that point even Els admitted he thought the game was up.

“When a guy does that once you think ‘good shot’,” said Els afterwards. 

“When he does it twice in three holes you think maybe he’s destined to win this thing.”

But in a perverse sort of way, Toms’ heroics helped Els.

With nothing to lose the South African said he was “freewheelin’” through the final holes – just trying to get as close as he could.

And the American’s magical short game could only keep him in business for so long. Els capitalized on a bogey at 15, finally holing a mid-range birdie putt, having missed from similar distances all day.

The scores were level going into the spectacular cliffside 16th – a fitting stage for the climactic moment of the afternoon.

Facing a monster 35-foot putt from just off the green, Els nailed it, taking the lead for the first time and never letting go.

“It was one of those beautiful things. It just kept curling and it went in the hole. It was a key moment,” said the champ with obvious pride afterwards.

The putter had nearly ruined his chances all week but it was his saviour again on 17, pulling him out of the mire when an over-hit chip had him throwing his club in frustration.

“Those were the putts I was missing for a day and a half, then they started dropping and that was the difference,” he said.

The South African took a one-shot lead into the 18th and clung on, matching Toms with a solid par to claim victory.

It was hard on the experienced Louisiana native, who had held the lead since yesterday morning. But Els – a three-time major champion – earned his victory.

And the American was gracious enough to accept the fact.

“It was just a tough day.  First of all, I guess I had the lead for the last, I don't know, 29, 30 holes.  Sometimes that's really hard.  Everybody else is just kind of winging it.

“I felt like I didn't necessarily lose this thing.  Ernie birdie-ing 14, 15 and 16 -  the putt he made on 16, I'd say he won the tournament.”

It was a tough day all-round. And many an amateur hacker will be pleased to see how the pros struggle on this undulating course when the wind blows.

Only Els finished under par for the day.

At the back of the pack Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell fought their own wooden spoon battle, ultimately finishing level pegging on three-over for the tournament.

Exhibition golf this may be, but the players gave their all. McDowell even pulled off his shoes and socks at one stage, paddling in ankle deep water to hack out of trouble on the 17th.

“Martin and I had a pretty good tussle for the booby prize,” he joked afterwards.

“There’s an element of pride kicks in.  No one wants to finish last for sure.  It was tough.  When you're completely out of the mix, it's very difficult to keep the pedal down.  We had a nice little tussle the last four or five holes.  It was a lot of fun.”

Whether this is the final PGA Grand Slam to be held in Bermuda remains to be seen. That’s a decision that will have to wait for a new administration and a new tourism minister.

But Els, for one, is fully behind another Bermuda bid.

Describing the course as a “great challenge” he concluded:

“I can't see any reason not to keep coming back here.”

Final Scores: Els – 5, Toms -4, Kaymer +3, McDowell +3