Big Easy hitting major gear

ERNIE ELS completed a second successive victory yesterday and is unquestionably the hottest player in golf with The Masters now only 10 days away.

The 40-year-old South African survived a tense finish to beat Italian Edoardo Molinari and American Kevin Na by two after the storm-hit Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill spilled into a fifth day.

Els, among 21 players unable to complete his final round on Sunday, resumed two ahead with four to play, but that became one when Na birdied the long 16th.

In the trees off the tee at the same hole, Els had to settle for par, but as he saved another par from a greenside bunker on the short 17th, Na found trouble down the last.

Driving into the right-hand rough led to a bogey five, dropped the Korean-born player alongside former US Amateur champion Molinari on nine under par. Both closed with three under 69s.

Els, who sank testing six-footers at the 15th and 17th, knew a bogey would be good enough at the final hole, but parred it for a 71, an 11 under aggregate and his 64th professional victory.

He lifted the WGC-CA Championship in Miami by a much more comfortable four-shot margin two weeks ago and this was a far nervier affair.

Play was suspended yesterday with Els having just allowed his five-stroke lead to dwindle by double-bogeying the 13th – he was in water there – and bogeying the 14th.

“Obviously I’m not totally at ease with myself right now,” said the former Open and US Open champion at the time before he headed off to sleep on the situation.

“I’ll be thinking about it all night. It won’t be a very peaceful night.

“I’m a little angry or disappointed. There’s still work out there to be done and I’ve got to get it done.

“I’ve basically got to go out there and play four holes as good as I can.”

Na, with the added pressure of needing a top two finish to climb into the world’s top 50 and into The Masters, was his closest overnight challenger, but was facing an 80-foot birdie putt on the 15th.

“I was playing well and Ernie looked like he was struggling,” he said. “Probably good for Ernie that they called it so he can clear his head a little bit. For me, I need to make birdies to catch Ernie.” He managed one, but the closing bogey ended his hopes of a first US Tour win and left him with a third runner-up finish on the circuit.

Molinari, meanwhile, once more overtakes his brother Francesco – fourth in the Andalucian Open – on the world rankings and has given his Ryder Cup chances another big boost. The two World Cup winners are both in the running for debuts in September and will link up at Augusta next week for the opening major of the year.

Els admitted victory yesterday will give him plenty of confidence heading into The Masters.

“If you win here you can feel comfortable in majors. The work I’ve been putting in is starting to pay off and my short game is good, I got it up and down on the last two holes. This place tests your ability so obviously it gives me confidence.”