Els tops countryman to end long drought

They call him the Big Easy because of a graceful swing that looks as if it requires so little effort.

Yet Ernie Els worked harder than ever Sunday to win the CA Championship in Doral, Fla.

Two years without a victory - the longest drought of  Yet Ernie career - and playing with all the pressure against a South African protege whom he helped groom for such a stage, Els played the final 23 holes without a bogey on the Blue Monster and closed with a 6-under 66 for a four-shot victory over Charl Schwartzel.

Els looked every bit like his nickname as he sauntered toward the 18th green, raising his cap to the crowd with an easy smile. It was as much relief as it was satisfaction.

"I'm 40 years old. I've had a tough run," Els said. "Whew! The hairs are standing up. It's just great."

Els returned to among the elite in golf at No. 8 in the world and became only the fifth player to win multiple times in the World Golf Championships, joining Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke, Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson.

It didn't come easily.

Els worked on his swing until twilight in the days leading up to Doral, then put it to the test in a final round that was far closer than the margin suggested.

Schwartzel, a 25-year-old who took part in Els' junior program in South Africa and was his mentor's houseguest the last two weeks, never backed down.

"I didn't think it was ever going to happen again," Els said. "But I felt all week that the work that I did, that I finally had to trust it at some stage, and there's no better day to really test yourself.

"I just wanted to prove to myself for once. Charl came at me all day. I had to come up with the goods."

Els was clinging to a one-shot lead when he stood over a 25-foot par putt on the 14th hole, relieved to see it fall on the final turn. It was the pivotal moment in the tournament, the kind that Els had been missing since 2008.

Els finished at 18-under 270 for his 61st win worldwide and 17th on the PGA Tour.