Ernie Els moved a step closer to creating golfing history when he booked his place – alongside European Ryder Cup team-mates Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Miguel Angel Jiménez - in the semi-finals of the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth Club.
Els will meet Harrington in the 36 hole shootout while Westwood tackles Miguel Angel Jiménez, who returned at first light to beat Bernhard Langer 2 and 1.
Twelve months ago, Els won the prestigious title for the fifth time to move alongside Seve Ballesteros and Gary Player on the Roll of Honour, but now, in the shadow of his Wentworth Estate home, the 34 year old South African is only two matches away from going one better than the illustrious duo.
The current Number One on the Volvo Order of Merit booked his place in the last four, firstly by returning in the morning to beat Volvo PGA Champion Scott Drummond 2 and 1 in his delayed first round match, before finally ending a titanic quarter-final tussle with Angel Cabrera on the 36th green.
One down at lunch to the powerful Argentine, Els immediately redressed the balance by winning the first two holes of the afternoon and he never was behind again. However, Cabrera made the World Number Two work for his victory and indeed battled back to all square with two to play.
But an errant drive at the 17th saw him unable to do better than par five and Els’s birdie four gave him the lead which he turned to victory with a half in birdie four at the 18th.
“It was a tough match today, but I knew it was going to be tough,” said Els. “I didn’t play that good tee to green this morning but I got it together this afternoon. I hit a lot of good shots coming down the stretch when it counted which was pleasing.”
Cabrera said: “It was a good match and a good battle and I’m proud of myself for having taken the match to the final green. I played well but I made a mistake on the 17th where I drove into the trees. That was a crucial moment.
“I said to my caddie on the tee, ‘We need to make birdie-birdie on the final two holes here or we will have no chance’ and that is what happened. I made a birdie on the last but not making birdie on the 17th gave Ernie the lead and that was the crucial moment.”
Els’s opponent in the semi-finals will be Harrington, who beat US Ryder Cup player Chris Riley 2 and 1 in his delayed first round tie before seeing off Ryder Cup team-mate Thomas Levet by one hole in another closely-fought quarter-final.
Facing the World Number Two will be a big enough hurdle for the Irishman but his cause might not be made any easier by an injured thumb, caused when he jarred his right hand on a follow-through from the trees at the ninth hole.
Harrington was seen to visibly wince on television and had to have medical treatment from the St John’s Ambulance staff on course before he was able to continue, finishing the match with his right thumb heavily strapped and with blood evident through the bandage.
“I wasn’t even aware of it,” said Harrington. “I thought I had loads of room on the follow through. I didn’t even think of it, but how I got my hands through it I don’t know. But it just goes to show, it wasn’t my club which caused it, it was my hands.
“It was actually fairly questionable when there was a lot of pain whether it was actually broken or not. I will go and have some attention on it now but at the moment it is just numb.”
Harrington did well to hold on to win, for the injury came in the middle of a spell where Levet was already gathering momentum, having turned around a six hole deficit after the first hole of the afternoon round, to only being two behind at the turn.
The Frenchman got it back to one after Harrington found trouble at the 16th, but he could not get the one further hole back required to send the match into extra time and Harrington gratefully two putted the 18th green for a half in birdie four to secure his victory.
In the final match to finish, Westwood was always in control of his quarter-final with Goosen after going one up at the ninth in the morning. The Englishman, who beat Open Golf Champion Todd Hamilton 4 and 3 in his delayed morning first round, moved gradually further ahead of the South African before closing out victory on the 17th green.
“I am pretty shattered now to be honest,” said Westwood. “I’ve got a bit of a cold and a sore throat but other than that I don’t feel too bad. Obviously it was a long day and tiring. The rough is pretty heavy as well. But I will try and get a good night’s sleep and I will be ready for tomorrow.”
European Ryder Cup Captain Langer staged another typical revival against Jiménez. Three down after 11 when bad light halted play on Friday night, Langer and Jiménez traded birdies.
Langer won the 12th and 14th with birdies and the Spaniard claimed the 13th with a birdie three. Langer, though, never knows when to give up and dug in against his younger opponent. The 16th was halved in par but Jiménez won the 17th with a birdie four to secure a 2 and 1 win.
"I think maybe the fatigue factor set up lasat night. I am ot used to playing 40 holes in a day" said Langer. "However I feel my game is close. I just need to hole a few moe six footers."
