Former champion Ernie Els survived a shaky finish to win his second consecutive PGA Tour title by two shots at the weather-delayed Arnold Palmer Invitational Monday. Two strokes clear with four holes remaining when the tournament was forced into a fifth day because of a thunderstorm, Els limped home with four successive pars at Bay Hill to hold off his challengers. The smooth-swinging South African, who this month claimed his first tour victory in two years at the elite WGC-CA Championship, closed with a one-under-par 71 for an 11-under total of 277. South Korea-born American Kevin Na, who trailed Els by just one with a hole to play, bogeyed the last for a 69 to share second place with Italian Edoardo Molinari, who also signed off with a 69. “It was a hard struggle today,” Els told reporters after sinking an eight-foot par putt at the 18th to secure the winner's check for $1.08 million. “I really earned this one ... and two wins (this season) is definitely special. “It was a really great test for the mind the last 24 hours, it was really pretty tough for me. I'm a guy who puts a lot of pressure on myself ... but I've always been like that. “I kind of limped home here today but the work I have put in started paying off, and obviously my short game is good,” Els said after winning his 18th PGA Tour title. After early morning rain had delayed the resumption of the final round by two hours, three-times major winner Els did well to par his first hole, the 15th, after missing the green to the left with his approach. The 40-year-old also found himself in trouble at the par-five 16th where he found the right rough off the tee and had to punch out a low second shot from under trees on to the fairway. From there, he struck his third to 30 feet and coolly two-putted to save par. Els got up and down from a buried lie in a greenside bunker at the par-three 17th to stay one stroke in front, until Na bogeyed the par-four last after driving into rough to slip two behind. With the tournament firmly in his grasp, Els struck a perfect tee shot down the 18th fairway but he pulled his approach left into greenside rough from where he again nervelessly got up and down to save par. “I would love to have played this tournament right before Augusta,” said the South African, who will compete in this week's Houston Open before heading to Augusta National for the April 8-11 US Masters, the year's opening major. Seo wins Classic In California, South Korea's Hee Kyung Seo won the inaugural Kia Classic for her first LPGA Tour title Sunday, closing with a 2-under 70 for a six-stroke victory in a final round marked by Michelle Wie's latest rules gaffe. Seo received one of the three sponsor's exemptions to get into the tournament, only her sixth on the LPGA Tour. The 23-year-old Seo, an 11-time winner on the Korean women's tour, can chose to become an LPGA Tour member. After opening with a 70 at La Costa, Seo had rounds of 67, 69 and 70 en route to a 12-under 276 total. South Koreans swept the top four spots, with Inbee Park (65) finishing second at 6 under, and Jiyai Shin (70) and Jee Young Lee (70) sharing third at 5-under. Wie was penalized two strokes for grounding her club in a hazard after hitting out of the water near the 11th green, giving her a double-bogey 7. She was notified of the penalty by LPGA Tour rules official Doug Brecht a few holes later. At the time, she was five strokes behind Seo. Wie ended up with a 72 to tie for fifth at 4
