Another electric storm as Els lands fourth title in five weeks

AS a storm brewed overhead, Ernie Els completed another electric display at the Johnnie Walker Classic to land his fourth title in five incredible weeks.

The thunder and lightning over Perth held off long enough for Els to shoot a final round of 66 to win by an emphatic 10 shots with a record-breaking 29-under-par.

In 13 years as a professional Els has never played better than he has this year and the records are beginning to tumble. His 2003 season began with victory at the Mercedes Championship in Hawaii, which he clinched with a USPGA Tour record score of 31-under-par. And yesterday he set a new mark for the European and Asian tours, beating the respective records of 27-under-par with another wire-to-wire victory.

“It has been an unbelievable week. We came in after a nice week’s holiday and I felt like playing, but I never thought I would be shooting that kind of score,” he said as the thunder rumbled and heavens opened.

Els’ nearest rivals were Australians Stephen Leaney and Andre Stolz, who finished tied for second on 19-under for the tournament. But from the first morning, when Els scorched the back nine in just 29 strokes, he was unstoppable. He dealt successfully with the pressures of leading for the entire tournament, extending his cushion at the top of the board with each passing round. Last year, when the course was distinctly more testing, Retief Goosen led by 13 shots into the final day. Els’ cushion on Sunday was nine.

“You’ve got all that tension every day, most of the pressure every day,” he said. “Everybody is waiting for your mistakes and hoping for mistakes. So yes, it is difficult playing with the lead from day one but it is something that I would like to get used to.”

The battle for second place was fierce but though Els wavered a little early on, the gap remained healthy.

He saved par with a brilliant recovery from the banks of the lake on the third hole and had picked up one shot by the time he entered the back nine.

His success on the homeward stretch was the foundation of his victory and he picked up another five shots to finish an incredible 22-under-par for the 36 holes played.

Els’ recent form reads five victories and a second place in his last six tournaments, stretching back to the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa before Christmas. His season began with that victory at the Mercedes Championship followed by another at the Sony Open. The only time he has been beaten in 2003, Els led up the final fairway of the Singapore Masters but was trumped by China’s Zhang Lian-Wei, who birdied as he bogeyed.

Els then flew into Melbourne and retained his title at the Heineken Classic before making it four from five in 2003 at Lake Karrinyup.

His four titles in five weeks have earned Els a cool £1.43m and one Tiger Woods, making his season debut at the Buick International, will be looking anxiously over his shoulder.