Easing back into the Winner’s Circle    

Playing in his home country of South Africa, Callaway Staff Pro Ernie Els relied on his new Diablo Octane Tour Driver and the Tour i(s) Golf Ball again this weekend to win the South African Open in Durban. It was the second time Els has won with the Diablo Octane in his bag. He put the new forged composite driver in play at the Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda back in October and won there as well.  The Big Easy carded a 6-under-par 66 on Sunday to hold off a formidable trio of countrymen in Retief Goosen, Charl Schwartzel and British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen. It was the fifth time that Els has captured his country’s national championship. He made five birdies, an eagle and a bogey in the final round to finish the tournament at 25-under-par.  Here’s what Ernie had to say in his online diary a few weeks ago regarding his new Diablo Octane Tour Driver: “I had a new driver in the bag in Bermuda, Callaway’s latest Diablo Octane Tour, which goes on sale to the public in a few weeks’ time. It features a new material called ‘forged composite’, which the Tour reps told me was developed with the help of Lamborghini — so it appeals to the golfer and the petrol head in me! It felt great and I was definitely getting it out there a long way.”  Here’s what Ernie had in the bag this week in South Africa:  Driver: Diablo Octane Tour (8.5 degrees, neutral) Ball: Tour i(s) Fairway Woods: X Fairway Wood, 15 degrees; X fairway Wood, 19 degrees 3 – 9 Iron: X Prototype Irons Wedges: X Series JAWS Wedges (Slate) Putter: Odyssey ProType