Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - PGA TOUR - HONDA CLASSIC, PGA National Resort and Spa (Champion Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida - Ernie Els shot a three-under 67 in the final round last year to win the Honda Classic by a stroke over Luke Donald.

The victory was Els' 16th on the PGA Tour -- he still has 16 -- and first since the 2004 WGC-American Express Championship in Ireland. It was aided by 2006 champion Luke Donald's one-over 71 in the final round.
Donald, who shot a 64 in the first round to set the course record, was one of three third-round leaders. He had a chance to force a playoff, but missed a birdie putt at the 17th and a birdie chip-shot at the 18th.
This year's tournament is sandwiched between two World Golf Championships events, the Accenture Match Play and CA Championship, and is a popular week to take off among the top players.
A week after the return of No. 1 Tiger Woods, only two players ranked inside the world top-10 will be in the field at PGA National: No. 2 Sergio Garcia and No. 9 Camilo Villegas.
However, 10 of the past 13 Honda Classic champions are scheduled to play, including Els, Mark Wilson, Donald, Todd Hamilton, Justin Leonard, Matt Kuchar, Dudley Hart, Mark Calcavecchia, Stuart Appleby and Tim Herron.

The Golf Channel and NBC will split coverage again this week.
There are two tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule next week, the WGC - CA Championship and the Puerto Rico Open.
Geoff Ogilvy, last week's winner at the WGC - Accenture Math Play, parred nine straight holes to win the CA Championship last year in a rain-delayed Monday finish. Ogilvy's victory halted Tiger Woods' worldwide winning streak at seven tournaments.
Also next week is the Puerto Rico Open, where Greg Kraft won the inaugural event last year.

LPGA TOUR

HSBC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS, Tanah Merah Country Club (Garden Course City), Singapore - Lorena Ochoa won the inaugural HSBC Women's Champions by a stunning 11 strokes last year.
Making the victory an even bigger story was who Ochoa beat: Annika Sorenstam, who was still months away from announcing her retirement.

Ochoa closed with a four-under 68 -- her fourth consecutive round in the 60s -- to finish at 20-under-par 268. The world No. 1 will be back to defend her title in Singapore a week after firing a six-under 66 on Sunday to win the Honda LPGA Thailand.

If Ochoa is to win again this week, she will have to beat a field that includes the rest of the top 10 players in the world rankings: Yani Tseng, Paula Creamer, Suzann Pettersen, Jiyai Shin, Angela Stanford, Helen Alfredsson, Cristie Kerr, Karrie Webb and Seon-Hwa Lee.

The Golf Channel will have tape-delayed coverage of the last three rounds this week.

The LPGA Tour will take a week off before returning March 20 for the MasterCard Classic in Mexico City. Louise Friberg won the tournament last year.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

TOSHIBA CLASSIC, Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, California - At last year's Toshiba Classic, Bernhard Langer birdied the seventh playoff hole to defeat 2007 champion Jay Haas.

The event has a history of long playoffs, including two nine-hole extra sessions.

Haas was attempting to become the first repeat champion in the tournament's 14-year history. He fired a six-under 65 in the final round to get into the playoff, while Langer, the second-round leader, closed with a 69.

It marked the first of Langer's three victories last year. He will be in the field to defend his title, but Haas will not be among the former champions in the field.

This is the fifth Champions Tour event of the season and first outside of Hawaii and Florida.

The Golf Channel has coverage of all three rounds this week. Next week is the AT&T Champions Classic, where Denis Watson won last year.

NATIONWIDE TOUR

HSBC NEW ZEALAND PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, Clearwater Country Club, Harewood, Christchurch, New Zealand - The Nationwide Tour continues its season-opening swing outside the United States with this week's HSBC New Zealand Championship.

The tournament follows the Panama Championship and Moonah Classic in Australia, won by Vance Veazey and Alistair Presnell respectively.

Last year, Darron Stiles came out on top after shooting a four-under 68 on Sunday, but was not credited with an official victory. Because of heavy rain on Friday and Saturday, organizers shortened the event to 36 holes (they were played Thursday and Sunday).

Players received prize money, but the tournament was declared unofficial. It was the first time since 2001 that a Nationwide Tour event was shortened to two rounds.

The Golf Channel has tape-delayed coverage of the last two rounds this week. Next week is the New Zealand Open, a new event for the Nationwide Tour.