THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2008
SPORTS
9B
>> PGA
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ernie Els, from Wentworth, England, blasts out of a sand trap on the 11th fairway during the Honda Classic golf tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Thursday, Feb. 28.
Els ends losing streak, wins Honda Classic
BY DOUG FERGUSON
AP GOLF WRITER
PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) _ A bead of sweat dripped off Ernie Els' brow when he stopped for a five-minute chat Wednesday before his pro-am round at the PODS Championship.
The hard part is over for the Big Easy. The hard work is not.
Els ended an 0-for-47 stretch on the PGA Tour when he won the Honda Classic, an astounding drought given his considerable talent. He is among four active players with at least three major championships, but none of the others has gone more than a year without winning on the world's toughest golf circuit.
It took a few days for his victory to sink it, and it was really driven home on the range at Innisbrook.
"The guys are congratulating you," he said. "They're not saying 'hard luck' or 'bad luck' or whatever that is."
Els would not have imagined winning this way.
He failed to make a birdie over the final 11 holes at PGA National and played them in 1 over. That proved to be enough, however, when the hard luck fell to Mark Calcavecchia, whose bunker shot inexplicably rolled through the green and into a hazard; and bad luck sided with
That's what had been happening to Els lately, whether it was Boo Weekley chipping in twice to beat him at Hilton Head last year, or Esl hit-
blow had come last month at Dubai, when Els missed two short putts that forced him to go for broke on the par-5 18th at Dubai, only to hit a fairway metal into the water on the last hole.
The losses kept piling up.
"I had many, many times I couldn't close the deal. So it's really nice to get this one, and hopefully, this is a fresh start for the next couple of years."
"When you're around long enough like me, you know you're going to
ERNIE ELS PGA Golfer
He couldn't keep up with Tiger Woods at Royal Liverpool in 2006 and started too far behind him at Southern Hills a year later. The latest
have losses," Els said. "Losses are tough. You play to win every week. When you get close, you expect to win. I had many, many times I couldn't close the deal. So it's really nice to get this one, and hopefully, this is
the next couple of years."
If nothing else, it's a good start with the Masters looming a month away.
Els has changed his worldwide travel schedule slightly to spend more chunks of time in the United States, and he signed up for the entire Florida swing. The hope was to build a foundation, make some progress before getting to Augusta National.
The victory should pay loads of dividends.
get some confidence going before Augusta," he said. "Obviously, it was a great start."
But he is far from satisfied. Els said his driving has been suspect under pressure over the last couple of years, and he has not been able to make the putts that mattered most down the stretch. Even though he won, he's not convinced those problems are behind him.
'And that explains why this week is no time to celebrate.
Els has enough ability to contend at majors even when his confidence is shaky. He was paired in the final group with Woods in the third round of the 2006 British Open, where he finished third. He was one shot out of the lead at Carnoustie a year later until dropping shots down the stretch and tying for fourth. And after a brief run at the 2007 PGA Championship, he wound up third.
"Even last week, the final nine (holes) of the tournament, I had a lot of chances, but I still didn't quite hole out," Els said. "I'm still working on that. If Tiger or Phil (Mickelson) or other players were there, maybe they would have beaten me."
Ending that nasty three- and a half-year drought on the PGA Tour should only help.
Woods and Mickelson are not at Innisbrook; that reunion takes place next week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Els, who has returned to "Big Three" status in the world ranking at the moment, still faces a stern test at Innisbrook, regarded by most players as one of the strongest tour courses on Florida without having to change its par to a 70.
The Copperhead course does not have a Florida look to it. There are changes in elevation, rare in a state where an ant pile can pass as a mountain. Most fairways are lined with trees, giving it a traditional look, and forcing players to think off the tee.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
England's Ernie Els went home with the victory at the Honda Classic golf tournament Sunday
with a score of six under-par.
"It does matter." Els said. "I really put my sights on playing a solid Florida stretch because I needed to
The only issue at the moment is sponsorship. PODS signed on as the title sponsor last year, but the company is for sale, and the tour is looking for another sponsor to keep Tampa Bay's spot on the PGA Tour rotation.
Els is part of a field that includes defending champion Calcavechia, Steve Stricker, Justin Rose of England, two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen and Davis Love III.
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MVPs return to teams after injuries Players show no signs of slowdown
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NHL
In a dazzling return after missing $6 \frac{1}{2}$ weeks with a high ankle sprain, Crosby set up Maxime Talbot for the game's first goal with only 2:47 remaining. He created numerous scoring opportunities with his speed and stickhandling as the Penguins took over the Eastern Conference lead with about a month remaining in the regular season.
Welcome back, Sid and Pete.
Former MVPs Sidney Crosby and Peter Forsberg successfully returned to the NHL Tuesday night. Crosby, the reigning Hart Trophy winner, came off the injured list and helped the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Tampa Bay 2-0. Forsberg, the 2003 league most valuable player, made his season debut with Colorado in a 2-1 victory over Vancouver.
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“It’s good to get it over with and get that feel and get that timing back, but it’s still not there,” Crosby said. “I had some great chances that I would have loved to put in. It didn’t happen. Sometimes that’s the way it goes. I’m a little rusty.”
Forsberg showed little rust despite being out for nearly a year mending a foot problem.
"I was just happy I was out there," Forsberg said. "I felt OK, not bad, not good.
"It's been a long time since I
played a real game. It's going to be a real struggle here in the beginning, the first couple of games. I hope people understand that."
PENGUINS 2,
LIGHTNING 0
John-Michael Liles scored his first goal in nearly four months and the Avalanche won their fourth straight.
Elsewhere, it was: Florida 1,
Boston 0; Calgary 1, Columbus 0;
New Jersey 4, Toronto 1; the New
New York Islanders 4, the New York
Rangers 3 in a shootout; Nashville 5,
Edmonton 1; Chicago 4, Minnesota 2;
Buffalo 5, Philadelphia 2; and St.
Louis 3, Los Angeles 2.
At Tampa, Fla., Marc-Andre Fleury made only his second start following his own extended injury layoff with an injured ankle and turned aside 35 shots in his first shutout since Nov. 24 and third of the season.
Evgeni Malkin, edging to within a point of the NHL scoring lead, scored into an empty net with 5 seconds remaining.
But it was Crosby's night. The reigning NHL scoring champion appeared as if he had been off only a few days rather than since Jan. 18 with a high ankle sprain.
"He's the best player in the league," Fleury said. "Having him on our side is always a big help."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Fans photograph Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby as he warms up prior to a NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tuesday, In Tampa, Florida. It was Crosby's first game back after an injury earlier this season.
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