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There was heartache for South African icon Els, a three-time majorchampion whose win drought of more than two years continues. But there was elation for the usually stoic American at taking homethe US$1.15 million top prize from the US$6.4 million event andsnapping a career win drought that included squandering a late leadat the 2011 PGA Championship. It was a tough day. Ernie put up a good number, Dufner said. It has been tough getting that first win out here. Six years now.It feels good getting the monkey off my back. England's Luke Donald fired a 67 to finish third on 271, twostrokes out of the playoff but well enough to return him to theWorld No. 1 ranking, having lost it to reigning U.S. Open championRory McIlroy two weeks ago. Els and Dufner each finished 72 holes deadlocked atop theleaderboard at 19-under par 269. Els fired a final-round 67 whileDufner, who led by two when the day began, shot a 70. Both men parred the 18th to close the final round, Dufner missing a10-footer for victory in regulation. They played the 18th again tostart the playoff and Els missed an 8-footer that would have givenhim the victory. When they played 18 again for the second hole of sudden death, Elsfound a bunker off the tee and left himself 18 feet for birdie onlyto watch Dufner roll his 60-foot eagle bid just two feet past thecup. Els missed to the right and tapped in for par, then Dufner tappedin for a birdie and his long-sought victory, which comes only sixdays before he is to be married in Auburn, Alabama. Dufner's most amazing shot was one that was largely forgotten afterthe closing drama, coming when he and Els were trading clutch parson the back nine while sharing the lead. After nearly hitting his tee shot at 16 into water, leaving it onmud with an alligator nearby, he hit his approach 45 feet from thepin and rolled a putt over a ridge and into the cup for anastonishing par that left him tied with Els. Dufner, 35, has struggled to hold 54-hole leads in the past. He ledheading into the final round of last year's PGA Championship butlost in a playoff to Keegan Bradley. This time, Els was a playoff loser as he tried to capture his firsttitle since the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational. The drought kept Els from qualifying to play at the Masters earlierthis month even as he battled for a victory in March. The 42-year-old South African nicknamed Big Easy found the lategoing difficult in a city also nicknamed Big Easy but hebattled a sore right hip and nagging tightness in his back to fightfor the title. Els birdied the par-5 second and par-4 fifth and eagled the par-5seventh to share the lead at the turn. After Dufner began the backnine with a birdie, Els matched Dufner at the top at 19-under witha birdie at the par-5 11th. Each man parred his way to the finish from there, Els doing so withgreat drama, including making a 10-footer at 12, a 12-footer at 14and a 14-footer at 17. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Insulation Glass Wool , China Insulation Refractory for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Fire Brick Refractory.
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