4 newportbeachindy . com MARCH 31 , 2023

By Christopher Trela | NB Indy By NB Indy Staff

With birdies on two of his last three holes , Ernie Els overcame a five-stroke deficit beginning with the final round to claim his second Hoag Classic title ( his last was in 2020 ) on Sunday , March 19 at the Newport Beach Country Club . It was his third career PGA TOUR Champions title .

Els finished at 13 under for the tournament , one stroke better than Steve Stricker and Doug Barron , who were tied for second at minus 12 .

The victory , his third on PGA TOUR Champions , comes in his 62nd start at the age of 53 . For the week , Els played Newport Beach Country Club ’ s front nine in 11-under par , as opposed to 2-under on Nos . 10-18 .

With the win , Els becomes the fourth player to win the Hoag Classic on multiple occasions ; he joins Hale Irwin ( 1998 , 2002 ), Jay Haas ( 2007 , 2016 ) and Fred Couples ( 2010 , 2014 ).

According to Els , he looked at the weather report for Sunday , which said gusty and rainy , so he was determined to get off to a decent start and get himself established on the course .

“ That ’ s exactly what happened ,” said Els . “ I almost played a perfect round . If I didn ’ t miss that short little putt on 15 , it would have been fantastic , but it ’ s still fantastic obviously winning . You know , the last five , six holes were tougher than we normally get it . I didn ’ t quite exactly see Doug Barron ’ s putt , but it sounded like it was pretty close . Just excited to win again . I haven ’ t won too many times out here . You ’ ve got to start somewhere .”

On 18 Els hit what he called the “ shot of lefft : Ernie Els is all smiles as he holds his trophy for winning the Hoag Classic golf tournament at Newport Beach Country Club . right : Fred Couples lines up a put at the Hoag Classic at Newport Beach Country Club / photos by Jim Collins

the tournament ” after hitting his second shot into a bunker .

“ I had a 63 yard shot , which is not a very nice yardage to have , but luckily the greenskeeping ’ s great , it was a nice firm lie . I hit the shot out to about 12 , 15 feet and made the putt . That shot , we don ’ t really practice those shots , we ’ re kind of going on instinct there . I just played the ball off the back foot and got it up on the green and then made the putt for once .”

Els noted that he ’ s played good golf , especially last year when he finished in the top 10 several times and a couple of second place finishes , so it was nice to win this time .

“ I just love this place ,” said Els of the Newport Beach Country Club course . “ It fits my eye . The grass , the weather , the whole place , it just feel at home here . I ’ ve always played well over here in California . Hopefully they keep this tournament going .”

For one week each year , the international spotlight shines brightly on Orange County ’ s only official PGA TOUR Champions event . Hosted at Newport Beach Country Club , the Hoag Classic , with Hoag as the title sponsor and presenting partners Konica Minolta and City National Bank , showcases golf legends such as Fred Couples , John Daly and Ernie Els as well as tournament newcomers including Justin Leonard , Notah Begay and Steve Stricker as they compete with more than 80 players for the title .

As one of the largest philanthropic events in PGA TOUR Champions history , the Hoag Classic has raised more than $ 20 million in total proceeds for Hoag ’ s programs and services , as well as other local charities .

For more information visit HoagClassic . com .

PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older , including 34 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame . The Tour ’ s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players , entertain and inspire its fans , deliver substantial value to its partners , create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities . Perched above Pacific Coast Highway , Newport Beach Country Club has captured the spirit of the Southern California lifestyle for more than 65 years . Spanning nearly 56,000 square feet and boasting panoramic views , the Clubhouse makes an architectural statement on coastal California Craftsman design . With a course originally designed by world-renowned designer William “ Billy ” Bell , NBCC has been one of the most popular stops on the PGA Champions Tour for more than 25 years and is the home of the annual Hoag Classic .

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