With a lead that almost felt too good to be true entering his back nine, final round leader Adam Scott coughed up a four-stroke advantage down the stretch to give Ernie Els his fourth career major title on Sunday afternoon.
Scott bogeyed each of his final four holes, including a bogey on No. 18 where he missed a potential playoff-forcing putt, all while Els sat in the clubhouse hoping that his 7-under score carded earlier would be enough. Scott's final round 75 came in stark contrast with the day put forth by Els, who closed as strong as ever with a 2-under round of 68.
As the day's conditions took a toll on virtually the entire field, a number of prominent names dropped down the leaderboard on Sunday. In the end, only eight players would finish their four-day tournament in red numbers as mid-70's rounds became a theme over the weekend.
A winner at the British in 2002 when it was played at Muirfield Golf Links, Els has now reigned supreme in a major championship in three straight decades. His hot play this week in England should carry over well to next month's PGA Championship, a tournament where Els has traditionally struggled.
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