Big Easy is back

Ernie Els ended a two-year wait for a tournament victory as he proved too much for his young compatriot Charl Schwartzel, with a final round 66 giving him a four-shot victory in the WGC-CA Championship at Doral.

Els and Schwartzel were sharing a house in Miami, and they shared the tee as the final pairing of the day when starting locked together on 12-under at the start of the day. To his credit, Schwartzel kept the pressure up for most of the round, but Els looked right back to his best when producing a sparkling bogey-free round of 66, six-under-par, to close the tournament on 18-under.

The Big Easy as he is known has been struggling to find his best form since a knee injury that he suffered whilst on holiday a few years ago, but this week could well ignite a new phase in his career and reach the heights that have seen him lift two US Open, an Open Championship as well as many victories worldwide.

The victory also takes Ernie back to the top of the all-time European Tour Earnings table, a place he has reclaimed ahead of Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie.

Els is one of the most talented players of his generation and the odds of a first Green Jacket have just been shortened considerably.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has fanned speculation that Tiger Woods will make his return to competitive golf within the next month.

The world number one has not played since November when revelations about his marital infidelities began. In February he said he had no return date but Finchem said he expects a decision from Woods shortly.

Woods has been working out with his coach Hank Haney, further fuelling expectations of a return before or for the Masters which begins on April 5. In an apology for his conduct which was televised worldwide last month, he again said he did not know how long he would be away from the sport.

But the New York Post, citing two unnamed 'sources in the golf community' said on Thursday that Woods was preparing for a possible return at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando on March 25.

Woods has won at Bay Hill six times, from 2000-2003 and again in 2008 and 2009, and it's the only PGA Tour event he has never missed since turning professional.

The first major championship of the year, the Masters at Augusta (April 5-11), also remains a likely venue for his return. Augusta National is famed for its water-tight security, which means it would be next to impossible for the paparazzi to gain access to the course.

Whatever happens, it will make for compelling viewing, major headlines and hopefully somewhere along the line we can get back to talking about golf again.