HOW ERNIE WON HIS SEVEN TITLES

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A comprehensive look back at the seven World Match Play titles Ernie Els has won – and how he did it.

1994 – bt Seve Ballesteros 2 and 1, Jose Maria Olazabal 2 and 1, Colin Montgomerie 4 and 2. Four months after his first major win at the US Open Els is 25 under on his debut and in the final beats the man he pushed into second place at Oakmont.
1995 – bt Lee Janzen 4 and 3, Bernhard Langer 1 hole, Steve Elkington 3 and 1. Three major winners cannot stop Els retaining his title.
1996 – bt Steve Stricker 1 hole, Mark Brooks 10 and 8, Vijay Singh 3 and 2. Els becomes the first player to win the event three times in a row .
2002 – bt Colin Montgomerie 6 and 5, Vijay Singh 3 and 2, Sergio Garcia 2 and 1.
No stopping him after he starts the week with a tournament record round of 60.
2003 – bt Tim Clark 2 holes, Vijay Singh 5 and 4, Thomas Bjorn 4 and 3. Bjorn aces the 14th, but by then he is down and almost out and Els matches the five titles of Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros.
2004 – bt Scott Drummond 2 and 1, Angel Cabrera 1 hole, Padraig Harrington 5 and 4, Lee Westwood 2 and 1. Under new format he has to play four games, but is equal to the task, achieves his second hat-trick and sets a new record.
2007 – bt Colin Montgomerie 6 and 5, Andres Romero 6 and 5, Henrik Stenson 3 and 2, Angel Cabrera 6 and 4. Without a win all year he puts that right at his happiest hunting ground.

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