Ernie Els celebrated his 35th birthday in spectacular style on Sunday by winning the World Match Play championship for a record sixth time by beating Lee Westwood.
The million-pound first prize assured Els the European Order of Merit for the second consecutive year with a new record for single season earnings.
”It’s a brilliant feeling,” beamed Els afterwards.
The previous record of five wins had been jointly held by Seve Ballesteros and Gary Player.
”At least I’ve got one record over Gary Player now,” joked Els.
”I think he’s got eight or nine majors, that’s a long way away from me but at least I’ve got him on this one.”
Despite the closeness of the score, the world number two never really looked in danger of losing the championship he has now won for the past three years.
”It wasn’t the greatest golf but that’s match play and I made it a bit difficult for myself,” explained Els.
”Yesterday I was really on my game but today I was a little bit out of rhythm. I made a lot of mistakes this morning. But I got my nose in front and kept it there.”
It has been an amazing transformation of Els.
Only five weeks ago he was ruing his luck in the Majors this season, having a chance to win all four and ending up with nothing.
After taking a couple of weeks off, he came back, insisting that he had put the disappointments behind him and it was time to refocus on his game.
Since then he has won twice — a million dollars by winning the WGC in Ireland and a million pounds for the World Match Play here.
”And to think I was complaining,” said Els. ”I’m really eating my words now.”
Westwood, suffering from a heavy cold, admitted that the final never lived up to its pre-match hype.
”It probably wasn’t the greatest golf people have seen but I just tried to keep fighting,” he said.
”It’s a long week and I just ran out of steam there at the end. I slept terribly last night after not feeling fantastic yesterday. Toady I kept feeling I had no balance and I felt like I was moving all over the place.
”I feel clammy all over. I think the best thing I can do now is to get into the car and get home to my bed as quickly as possible.”
At the half-way stage both players were all square and as they set out in the afternoon it was Els who drew first blood when he birdied the par four third. An eagle at the fourth to put him two clear had Westwood on the defensive.
The 31-year-old pushed Els all afternoon, getting it back to one down by the time they reached the turn, but the world number two, playing solid if not spectacular golf, never looked like cracking.
Westwood, who won a semi-final thriller on Saturday against Ryder Cup teammate Miguel Angel Jimenez that went to the 36th hole, was clearly suffering from from both a cold and his driver.
While Els was finding the fairways, Westwood was finding himself continually playing his second from the rough.
Even on the par threes he had trouble off the tee.
One down by the time they reached the par three 28th, Westwood’s six-iron flew the green, allowing Els to go two up with a par and holes fast running out.
Westwood kept the crowd excited when he pulled it back to one down at the 15th when he hit his approach to three inches for a tap in birdie.
But three putts at the next saw him back to two down with two holes — both par fives — to come.
Els sealed victory with a 20 foot birdie putt on 17 to halve the hole and win 2 and 1. – Sapa-AFP