NEWS

Ernie Els headed back to Bermuda after Open Championship win

By T.J. Auclair, Interactive Producer
Published on
Ernie Els headed back to Bermuda after Open Championship win

A remarkable comeback, coupled with a shocking collapse by Adam Scott, helped Ernie Els overcome a six-shot deficit to win the Open Championship for the second time in his career at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

The victory was the fourth of the major variety for Els and his first since the 2002 Open Championship at Muirfield. With the win, Els will join Masters champ Bubba Watson and U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson in the 30th PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Southampton, Bermuda, Oct. 22-24.

How it happened, though, is nothing short of amazing.

Els entered the final round trailing 54-hole leader Scott by six shots.

The wind was blowing at Royal Lytham & St. Annes for the first time all week during the final round, which sent scores soaring for most. But not Els. The South African birdied three of his final six holes, including a lengthy putt on the 72nd hole to post a 2-under 68 to finish 7-under 273 for the tournament.

Scott, meanwhile, seemed to be in total control throughout the day. However, he bogeyed each of his final four holes to shoot a 5-over 75 and finished one shot behind Els at 6-under 274.

Els returns to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf for the first time since winning the event in 2010.

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf, the season-ending showcase event that boasts the most difficult qualification requirement in the game -- a major championship -- will be televised by TNT to a worldwide audience.

Port Royal Golf Course joins the Fairmont Southampton as the official hotel site for the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda. The 6,842-yard, par-71 Port Royal is a public course that opened for play in 1970.

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf features a $1.35 million purse, with the winner receiving $600,000, second place $300,000, third place $250,000 and fourth place $200,000.

TNT's prime-time broadcast of the event reaches a worldwide audience of 88.9 million U.S. homes and international viewers in more than 100 countries.The PGA Grand Slam of Golf is hosted by the Bermuda Department of Tourism, Port Royal Golf Course, and the Fairmont Southampton Hotel.

Established in 1979, the PGA Grand Slam of Golf has grown from an 18-hole, single-day charity event to a 36-hole annual showdown that matches professional golf's best against each other. Ernie Els captured the 2010 PGA Grand Slam of Golf title at Port Royal.

The final spot in the foursome for the 30th PGA Grand Slam of Golf will feature the winner of the 94rd PGA Championship, Aug. 9-12, at Kiawah Island's Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, S.C.