After leading 3-up in the morning round, Ernie Els beat Denmark's Thomas Björn 4 & 3 in the 36-hole HSBC World Match Play final at Wentworth on Sunday to match the record five wins previously shared by compatriot Gary Player and Seve Bellesteros. In the process the smooth-swinging World No 2 and recently confirmed European No 1 for 2003 earned a record £1m ($1,672,696) as he took his number of world-wide wins this year to seven. Second only to the $2m he won in the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City in South Africa last year, it's the largest first prize ever awarded in Europe and the USA and takes his total prize money for the year to a table-topping $7,379,173. Being an event with a limited field, his earnings at Wentworth won't officially improve his position on the US or European tour money lists, but unofficial it will make him golf's largest prize money winner this year, his total earnings exceeding Tiger Woods' by more than a million dollars. Woods to date leads the PGA Money list with $6,278,746. Els was less concerned with the prize money, though, and more enthused by the fact that he had joined two other of the world's greatest players in sharing a record when he lifted the trophy now named in memory of event founder Mark McCormack, who died in May. He said, "To join that illustrious group is really nice, but it's tough playing such a big match against a good friend. Mind you, you won't find me complaining." It was never going to be easy for ŒThe Big Dane¹ to stop the big Wentworth part-time local from winning again on a course that winds past one of his favourite homes. Els wasn't faultless, by any means. Among his eight birdies and the eagle he scored with a great approach shot of his own at the par-4 9th, he included three bogies in his first 18 holes and two in his second 15, but after grabbing an early lead, those dropped shots never really seemed to matter for he was always able to up his ante when it really mattered. "The right guy won," said 10th seed Bjorn who posted five birdies and six bogies along with his two eagles in his fourth straight day of 36-hole match play.

On Saturday, No 1 seed Els ousted World No 3 Vijay Singh 5 & 4 in his second match and Björn defeated British Open champion Ben Curtis 2-up in his third.

For the first time in 40 years, this year's World Match Play Championship saw players qualifying officially via a system that awards points only for performances in the four majors. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III were among the Americans qualifiers who declined to play despite the event offering record prizes.