Ernie Els has been coming to Firestone Country Club since he was 22 years old. That was 32 years ago.
That’s 32 years, 32 tournaments, 32 tries — and, now, one win.
Els raised the 2024 Kaulig Companies Championship trophy on the 18th green Sunday afternoon at Firestone after firing a final-round 68, which put him at 10 under for the tournament, beating Y.E. Yang by one shot to win it.
Els is now 54 years old. He’s been playing at Firestone once a year for nearly his entire adult life. Finally, he was the last one standing. Finally, he’s leaving Akron as the champ, even if he wishes he had a bit more time to celebrate before next week’s Open Championship.
Els, who last month was named Golfweek’s Father of the Year, is the first three-time winner of the 2024 season on PGA Tour Champions, and he moves to No. 1 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
“It’s a pity I have to fly tonight. It could have been a big bar tab this evening at Firestone Country Club,” Els said with a smile. “I would have been buying a lot of beers, but we’ll have to wait for another time.”
Before the tournament, Els raved about how much he enjoys Firestone South as a golf course that stands as a difficult but fair test. But he also noted he’s never quite been able to figure out the greens, and he’s never quite been able to get that first win.
“It’s been a long journey,” Els said. “I never really thought I could win here, I had so many bad runs here. I guess patience, you know, kind of works sometimes.”
Els entered the day at 8 under for the tournament, one stroke behind defending champion Steve Stricker. The two were neck and neck a few holes into the back 9, with Yang (in a group in front of them) lurking as a third contender. Then, quickly, the leaderboard came into focus during Sunday’s final round.
On 14, Stricker’s second shot ended up way off line and hit a tree flush before coming to a rest under another tree. He had to pitch out back to the fairway and then, after finding the green with his fourth shot, Stricker proceeded to find disaster by three-putting for a triple-bogey.
Els, meanwhile, sank perhaps the biggest putt of the entire tournament, a 20-foot birdie that quickly ended Stricker’s run to repeat. With that putt, it became a two-player race between Els and Yang.
Still, Els was solidly in control — until The Monster 16th hole.
Els stepped to the 16th tee at 11 under, with Yang at 10 under. He hit a near-perfect drive and had 222 yards to clear the water. He could either lay up and set up a short third shot to the green or try to land it on the green, which could just about end the tournament right then and there.
It was risky, but Els went for it, and he felt The Monster’s bite. He didn’t hit his 4-iron as cleanly as he had on Saturday, and Els found the water. In that moment, he was in danger of letting his first title at Firestone slip away, all because of the course’s signature hole.
“I felt because I hit that shot yesterday with that yardage, I felt comfortable, but I got a little short in my backswing, and that’s what tension does,” Els said. “Knowing that very well at my age, you get a little jerky back and a little short, and the land was lying away from me a bit, so I had to really go after it, which I did not.
“So I felt like I didn’t quite 100 percent commit to that shot, so to speak. I was pissed off at myself, but it was nobody else’s fault. It wasn’t a bad club, it wasn’t my caddie giving me a bad yardage, it was me. So I was fine with that going to the next tee trying to suck it up and play.”
Els coolly went on to par No. 17. As he did, Yang was finishing up on 18 and missed a crucial par putt to drop back down to 9 under, again giving Els a one-stroke lead at 10 under.
Els again hit a near-perfect tee shot on 18, and smoothly hit a wedge onto the green to give himself an easy two-putt win.
“It was a nerve-wracking final couple of holes,” Els said. “I got to the 17th tee and I saw Y.E. go to 9 under, so now I’m thinking, ‘Don’t screw this up even more now.’ Tough coming in. … I hit a really good tee shot on 18 and I still had to compose myself to hit that wedge in there. I had 155 down the hill.”
The Champions Tour is where golf fans can see many legends of the game, like Els, Stricker, Vijay Singh and many others. It’s also often a time when some of those players are dealing with adjustments as they progress into their 50s.
Finally winning at Firestone, which can be such a tough course, is a confidence booster, even for Els.
“I had a tough time on the regular tour at the end there. When you’re 46, 47, 48, things start going maybe a little sideways, which it did for me,” Els said. “A lot of aspects of my game didn’t work very well anymore, so I lost a bit of confidence. Coming over on this side, it took me a while to get to his level where I feel I really compete now.”
Sunday afternoon, a 32-year wait for one of Els’ favorite courses came to an end.
With the trophy sitting next to him, Els said, “It’s just a wonderful feeling.”
