Els still has Major ambitions

Ernie Els has another €1.4m and a World Match Play record all to himself. But he wants more.

And top of the South African’s agenda for 2005 is to try to win the Masters and US PGA titles.

It would enable him to join golf’s most celebrated club – those who have a career Grand Slam to their names.

Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods are the only members of the club and Els, with an Open and two US Opens so far, said: “The Majors are still the ones that I really treasure.”

But for the time being a sixth Match Play triumph at Wentworth did very nicely - especially as it came on the world number two’s 35th birthday.

Els successfully defended the title last year to join Player and Seve Ballesteros on five wins and yesterday he overcame an ailing Lee Westwood with a 20-foot birdie putt on the penultimate green to set a new mark for those that follow.

Not that he intends to stop at six.

“Hopefully I will stay healthy and I will keep playing, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Really I’m very grateful for what’s happened here. It’s a wonderful feeling,” said Els.

“No tournament has ever gone like this for me ever. We live here and this is my true home course now.”

Until the start of this month, 2004 was going down as one to forget for Els, who just missed out on the Masters, Open and US PGA.

Then he won the American Express World Championship in Ireland and now this.

“Three weeks ago I was complaining about all kinds of stuff, so I’m definitely eating my words at the moment – it’s turning out to be a great season,” he said.

Els was the first to say he did not produce his best to land golf’s biggest cheque again – “I won a little bit more with grit than with flair” – but he did not have to.

And things certainly went his way. Semi-final opponent Padraig Harrington was handicapped by a thumb injury suffered smashing it against a tree trunk playing a shot, and then Westwood’s cold and sore throat turned into a chest infection and virus come the final.

Westwood, who had beaten Els on their two previous clashes, said: “I felt awful all day. The doctor has given me something before I can get to see my own doctor, but I slept terribly and kept feeling like I had no balance. It’s in my ears as well.

“If I had been on form I would have had a really good chance. I think the best thing I can do now is get in the car and get home to my bed as quickly as possible.

“It’s the end of a long season and I feel quite run down to be honest. Today just sapped all my energy.”

Els’ 96-year-old grandfather played a part in the outcome. Prior to the final, the South African received birthday wishes from back home.

But his grandfather – also named Theodore Ernest – gave him a putting tip too. Keep your head still.

“The older he gets the harder he gets,” commented Els. “He was giving me a lot of grief about my putting. I hope he’s happy now – at least I holed one good putt.” The one he finished with, of course.

Westwood earned €577,700 for second place in an event he was not originally in - he was first reserve and 13 players turned down their invitations – and having been joint top-scorer with Sergio Garcia in last month’s Ryder Cup and fourth in the Open, it is some comeback from a player who only 16 months ago was outside the world’s top 250.

He still has a long way to go to get back to the fourth place he once held, but all things seem possible again.

As well as thanking his family, Els praised his “mentor” Nick Price, the former Open and US PGA champion for all his help over his career.

“He’s one of the players who understands how I function,” he stated.

Els has won 22 of his 26 games at Wentworth – Westwood was the only player to have beaten him twice – and with total earnings of over £3million from the event, he has averaged an incredible €166,900 per game.