World number three Ernie Els led from start to finish to win the rain-affected $1,5-million BMW Asian Open Monday by a massive 13 shots and record his third victory of the year.
The 35-year-old South African, who pockets the winner’s cheque of $250 000, finished at 26 under par for the tournament, with a stunning final round of 65 to stand alongside his earlier rounds of 67, 62 and 68.
England’s Simon Wakefield, ranked 328th in the world, took second spot, finishing at 13 under, while Thomas Bjorn of Denmark closed a shot further back at the join-sanctioned European and Asian Tour event.
Eddie Lee of New Zealand shared fourth spot with Frenchman Jean-Francois Lucquin at 10 under par, a shot ahead of English duo Luke Donald and Stuart Little.
”Everything just went right. Everything just clicked and I had a great week,” said Els, winner of the 2002 British Open and 1994 and 1997 US Opens.
”The 62 was obviously the key to the victory but in the same breath during the last two rounds I had to stay steady and not make big mistakes and try to play aggressively.
”So it all really worked out and obviously I am very pleased. It’s just unfortunate we couldn’t finish yesterday.”
Els, who had criticised the organisers for stretching the tournament into a fifth day rather than cut it short at 54 holes after over three hours of play was lost Sunday due to thunder storms, began the day with an eight-shot lead.
That soon changed after he holed a five-foot birdie putt he had left on the seventh green the previous evening after play was halted due to bad light.
The ”Big Easy”, who won back-to-back European Tour victories in Dubai and Qatar in March, followed that up with a birdie on the long ninth to hit the turn at five under par for the round.
He then made two more birdies on the back nine around the 7 300-yard course at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club for his seven-under-par 65.
”I think the six or seven holes we played yesterday were very important. Conditions were very difficult. It was dark, it was cold, it was wet, but I increased my lead then and I felt quite nice when I went to sleep last night,” said Els.
His victory was sweet reward for many hours spent on the range working on minor adjustments to his swing and posture following his disappointing performance at the US Masters last month where he finished a distant 47th.
”I was a little surprised that it came so fast but it was obviously the right things that I’ve been working on.”
Els said his performance set him in good stead for next month’s US Open at Pinehurst.
”I’ve got to keep working on the changes I’ve made but this is a great confidence booster for me,” he said.
”My goal this year is definitely to win a major but I’ve got to take small steps like I did this week and hopefully it will lead to big wins.”
England’s Wakefield, who was forced to return to qualifying school last November after losing his card, recorded his best ever European Tour finish to take home $166 660 and almost guarantee his card for next year.
”It’s obviously not sunk in yet and it won’t until I get home, until I sit down and realise what I have achieved today,” the 31-year-old said.
Of the 75 players who made the cut, only 51 managed to finish their final rounds on Sunday.
They included defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain who shot a disappointing 73 to finish at three under par for the tournament tied twenty-eighth. – Sapa-AFP