South African Ernie Els has won the Cisco World Match Play Championship after a hard-fought 2&1 victory over Spaniard Sergio Garcia. The Open champion has performed brilliantly all week at this event and has never been behind in any of his ties. He took the £250,000 first prize, his fourth victory in this competition in nine attempts and his fifth victory of the season, but Garcia made him fight hard to win the title.
Els seemed to be cruising against Garcia as he found himself five up after 12 holes this morning and was three up with six to play this afternoon but after a double-bogey on the 31st and a bogey on the 32nd despite victory being in sight, the battling Garcia was still in with a chance, albeit a slim one, of winning.
The 22-year-old was now only one down but he failed to take control of the match. He hooked his drive on the 34th and after two hacks conceded the hole, and then he found himself twice in the trees on the next. Els did not have to put again and instead was lifting the trophy that puts him just one win behind Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros, both of whom lifted the trophy five times in their careers.
"Sergio always keeps it interesting," said Els of his good friend. "He is so talented. I was not putting well - I guess I made all my putts against Colin - and I felt pretty down when I missed that one to be only one-up. But to win this title again now means even more because of where I live. It's become home," he added about the Wentworth course where he resides beside the 16th hole when in Britain.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
