March 2, 2008 -- The Champion course at PGA National proved once again to be a great venue for a championship event. Over the years, many big tournaments have been played on the "Champ"; the Ryder Cup, the PGA Championship, several Senior PGA Championships and now -- for the second year in a row -- the Honda Classic.

Ernie Els won for the first time since 2004 on the PGA Tour. (WireImage.com)

This week at the Honda Classic the course was in its typical excellent condition. The fairways were lush, the rough deep, and the greens perfect. Playing to a par of 70 at 7100 yards with some wind, sand and water -- the players knew early that they were in for a true test of golf. With last year's winning score of 5 under par, the talk was that this year we could expect more of the same. And that's exactly what we got.

Ernie Els won this year's event with a score of 274 (-6). Its been a few years since Ernie's last win, but he's been showing some signs of having his game come around the last few weeks. This week, he put it all together for four rounds. This is not a course that you can just fire off a string of birdies. There is too much trouble at The Champion course for any player to simply run away from the field. But Els created a gameplan and stuck with it all four rounds. There are two areas in particular that my experience at The Champion course tells me that you need to do well in order to maximize your scoring opportunities: you have to drive the ball well and you have to stay mentally strong.

And that is exactly what Ernie Els did. Els is your 2008 Honda Classic champion because he was one of the leaders in fairways hit (t4) and stayed focused on each shot, regardless of the circumstances around him or what other players were doing.

The Lesson Learned this week: When playing such a challenging course like PGA Champion course, you need to get off the tee long and keep it in the short grass. Staying tough mentally is also critical. How do you do this? Here are some ideas"

Driving:

1. Start with your equipment. Make sure you are playing with the driver best suited for your swing. This relates to the club's loft, shaft flex and weight. All professional golfers take the time to be fitted by experts and test various clubs until they find one that fits their swing best. You will notice a huge difference in distance and accuracy when you use a fitted club.

2. Focus on specific targets when driving. Do not just hit to the fairway, be sure to focus on a tree or an edge of a bunker. The smaller the target the better. This will allow you to eliminate distractions and keep your focus simple.

3. Learn from the best. Watch what the great drivers do. Notice their routines, tempo, and balance. All pros check their alignment. Place a club on the ground when practicing and warming up. Be consistent with your routine.

4. Know your limits relating to each club in your bag and the distance you are able to hit with each. Choose your driving club wisely on each hole on the course. For example, Ernie Els in the final round hit his 3 wood on 16 because the fairway was to narrow in the landing area for his driver. Sometimes it is better to be smart than long.

Mental side:

1. If you have the chance, work with a sports psychologist. If not, check out some golf books on this subject. Ernie has his coach. It paid off well for him this week.

2. Have a game plan for the round. Base your strategy on course conditions, your target score for the day and then stick to your plan. At The Honda Classic this week I noticed on the first hole some pros hit long irons and some hit drivers or fairway metals. Club selection on the tee is part of the plan.

3. Do not let a bad swing or bad break ruin your round. This week Luke Donald made an 8 on the 14th hole. He then went on the play the bear trap under par for the rest of the tournament. Donald stayed focused in his game and almost won the tournament.

Things are relative in golf. Your home course may not be as demanding as the Champion course at PGA National and you may never face such extreme mental situations like Ernie had on the 17th tee on Sunday (with that long wait on the tee, and then the need to hit that long iron to that small green from 210 yards away into the wind). But if you improve your golf fundamentals, particularly with regards to your driving, and you practice the mental side of your game, I bet your scores will certainly improve and you will be able to hit good shots under pressure.

Good luck.

Chris Czaja is regarded as one of South Florida's top PGA golf instructors and is entering his 18th year at Boca West Country Club. A PGA Professional since 1993, Czaja was the 2005 runner-up for South Florida's PGA Teacher of the Year and was nominated the past 2 years for Southeast Chapter PGA Teacher of the Year. Czaja is a graduate of East Carolina University and has also been one of the top playing PGA Professionals in the South Florida section. As a PGA Professional, Chris has won numerous chapter and section PGA events. He has played in 3 National Club Professional Championships and was a member of 3 South Florida Section PGA Cup teams. He also spends significant time involved in a number of national and community charities. Chris can be reached at onplane2@yahoo.com.