Sixth time’s a charm: Ernie Els captures first Hualalai win
World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els wasn’t leaving West Hawai‘i without a victory.
During Saturday’s final round of the PGA TOUR Champions’ 29th Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai Course, the 55-year-old South African star pulled ahead of the pack in the back nine of the iconic course to secure the two-stroke victory (-18) over Miguel Angel Jiménez, Alex Cejka and Bernhard Langer — who all tied for second after carding 16-under 200.
Els secured his $340,000 prize and fourth overall victory in the state of Hawai‘i — previously winning the 2003 Sentry and 2003 and 2004 Sony Open. Competing at Hualalai for the sixth time and previously finishing as high as second overall (2020), he wanted this win more than anyone.
“I’ve been trying to get my hands on that trophy for five years now,” Els said. “Came close my very first time and finally got it through the line. But what a battle it was. I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to play golf in and basically have a week’s holiday with a golf tournament. Wonderful week.”
In a six-way tie going into the par-5 14th, Els and Langer separated themselves by securing birdies. During the next hole, Els sank a 15-foot birdie putt to take a one-stroke lead. Langer tried to make up ground on the final green by attempting a 25-foot birdie putt, but he missed slightly. Els responded by dropping a 10-foot birdie putt to officially win by two strokes.
“Bernhard (Langer) kept me going,” Els admitted. “He kept the pressure on me. Luckily for me, I kept making big putts, big putts on 15 and 16. Then obviously when he missed his birdie on 18 — my putt was a little easier, so I rolled that one. But what a battle.”
Saturday also marked Els’ seventh win on the Champions Tour. It is also his third consecutive season with at least one win on the tour. Entering the final day tied for the lead, Els improved to 4-for-11 when entering the final round of the Champions Tour leading or co-leading.
Of Langer’s 357 starts on the tour, the 67-year-old German notched his 90th top-two finish. He won at Hualalai in 2009, 2014 and 2017. Langer additionally clinched the 2024 Charles Schwab Cup Championship in November in Phoenix, Ariz.
For Cejka, this was his 10th top-two finish on the tour. He carded a 68 Saturday. Cejka is a three-time senior major champion.
Jiménez — Hualalai’s 2015, 2020 and 2022 winner — tied a round-best 64 on Saturday to sneak into the top two after entering the day tied in seventh. He raved about Hualalai’s beauty and hospitality during the three-day event.
“The conditions of the golf course are very nice,” he said. “Mitsubishi is a great sponsor; they treat us so well here. Everyone wants to come here and play in the tournament. It’s a little far away in the middle of the Pacific, but when you are here, it’s a beautiful place. Nice golf course, nice people around. That’s what you need. That’s what makes you feel good.”
With Jiménez being an experienced Hualalai veteran, Els admitted that he got a little worried once he saw the Spanish star begin to storm back up scoreboard.
“(Jiménez) beat me in the (2020 MEC) playoff,” Els recalled. “He’s won this tournament three times. When he was up at 16-under par, I thought this could be another one of those. Luckily, I made those big putts and stayed just ahead of (Jiménez).”
Now with the 2025 Champions Tour officially underway, Els emphasized that he could not have imagined a better start to the new year, and believes he can play even better. He hopes the win can set the tone for the rest of his 2025, but acknowledged that the tour is full of talented golfers who pose different challenges each tournament.
“Cannot think of a better way (to start the 2025 Champions Tour),” he said. “It’s a hell of a tour. I haven’t fired on all cylinders yet, but hopefully I can start getting to my potential the way I’d like to play.
“Saying that, even if I play to my potential, sometimes it’s not enough. The guys are so good out here. They really play really great golf, and you’ve got to do some really special things to win golf tournaments out here.”
Last year’s champion, Steve Alker, tied with Jerry Kelly in fifth overall with a 15 under. The pair both shot a 65 in the final round.
Steve Stricker, who placed third at Hualalai in 2024, competed in his first Champions Tour event since September. He finished -10 while posting 69 on Saturday, tying for 19th overall. Stewart Cink, the 2009 Open Championship winner, carded -13 after shooting a 65 on Day 3 — good enough to place eighth overall. Jay Haas concluded the tournament with a 71, shooting his age or better for the third straight round and 26th total on the Champions Tour. He also eclipsed $20 million in earnings on the tour over the weekend, becoming the fourth golfer to do so.
To view the full list of the tournament’s results, see Page 3B.