Weekley looked as if he would give back all of a three-shot lead after his bogey on the 16th hole and his muffed chip behind the 17th green. Weekley followed the blunder with a 40-foot, par-saving chip to keep a one-stroke lead.

But then Weekley had his troubles on Harbour Town's lighthouse hole, No. 18. He chipped across the green and into the fluffy rough down a short slope. Once again, Weekley's short game saved him, this time rolling it from 36 feet away.

"Unreal," Weekley said. "This is unreal."

The Big Easy, bidding for his first tour win since 2004, lost his chance on No. 17, driving into the hazard behind the green for a bogey. Els made things interesting, though, putting his second shot _ and last opportunity to tie _ at the 18th inside 2 feet.

Weekley finished with a 68 and was one in front of Els (70 ) and two ahead of Stephen Leaney (68). Masters champion Zach Johnson continued his inspired play a week after slipping on the green jacket with a 71 to finish sixth.

Weekley had gained the sympathy of golfers everywhere last month when he missed a 3-footer on the 72nd hole of the Honda Classic that would've given him the outright win. Instead, the 33-year-old Weekley fell into a four-man playoff eventually won by Mark Wilson.

Weekley got it done this time.

He trailed Leaney by three shots early on, but moved to the front with an eagle on No. 5 and a birdie one hole later.

Weekley missed a 5-foot par try to open the door for Els until dramatically closing it with his two chips.

Along with $972,000 and a PGA Tour exemption through 2008, Weekley becomes the first PGA Tour winner to qualify for next year's Masters after Augusta National chairman Billy Payne restored a privilege taken away in 1999.