Ernie Els wins the CA Championship leading his South African countryman, Charl Schwartzel, by four shots at Doral's Blue Monster. Charl has idolized Ernie since he was a lad - which was only yesterday for the rookie on the US PGA Tour. Ernie has worked hard to get back on top and represent to 40-something crowd on the US Tour. This should just be the beginning of a great year for him.
The CA Championship is the second in the World Championship series with a limited field. Only two Americans, Kuchar and Haas stayed in the top ten after Sunday's round. Mickelson and Stricker lead the rest of the US contingent in the top twenty.
They all better start playing better. Tiger Woods just announced he is returning to the TOUR in three weeks at The Masters. While it is surprising that he would not play a warm-up event first, (Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Classic is the logical choice.) he is not going to set himself up to fail. The only Major cut he has missed in his career was the British Open a month after his father, Earl Woods', death. Augusta is a perfect place for Tiger to return to competition. The patrons (gallery) are the best behaved in the world. There are no signs. Very little negative comments from the patrons and the most media privacy of any tournament make Augusta the least susceptible to a poporotizi blitz. The reasons are simple. Misbehave at the Masters and you ticket is gone - probably for life, and that is a real problem if you got the ticket from someone else. Step over the line in the Press Area and your credentials might not be renewed the next year - just ask Gary McCord.
Hopefully the Patrons and the public outside Magnolia Lane leave Tiger and his "family" alone. His is a personal matter, not a golf matter to be gouged out at every turn. He has to settle it internally. Let him play. You'll be better off for it.
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