Els holds out for fourth World Match Play title

Ernie Els clinched his fourth World Match Play title today by beating Spaniard Sergio Garcia 2 & 1 in the 36-hole final.

Ernie Els clinched his fourth World Match Play title today by beating Spaniard Sergio Garcia 2 & 1 in the 36-hole final.

British Open champion Els, who had led by five after 14 holes, had to resist a brave fightback from Garcia early in the afternoon on a wet and overcast day at Wentworth's West Course.

But the 22-year-old Spaniard, playing in his first final, lost his way with some wayward driving over the closing holes having three times narrowed the gap to just one.

South African Els, who won an unprecedented hat-trick of titles at Wentworth from 1994 and 1996, was competing in his fifth final in nine starts.