Els and Bjorn face each other in HSBC World Match Play final
BY iseekgolf.com | European PGA Tour | 2003 HSBC World Match Play Championship | Round Three | 19 Oct 2003
Defending champion Ernie Els has booked his place in his sixth World Match Play final after a record-breaking win over Vijay Singh. Els set a new World Match Play record after winning eight successive holes on his way to a five and four win over the Fijian.
The South African now has the chance to emulate such greats at Seve Ballesteros and compatriot Gary Player and win a record-equalling fifth World Match Play crown in Sunday’s final against either Ben Curtis or Thomas Bjorn. Els’ previous victories were in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2002. He also reached
Singh, the 1998 winner, had a comfortable four hole lead on the 16th tee of the morning round but then saw his opponent reel off three consecutive birdies at 16, 17 and 18 to go into lunch just one down. After lunch Els won the next five holes with two birdies and three pars to go four up.
Els then extended his lead to five holes at the 25th hole when Singh had a bogey five. Singh briefly fought back to just three down when he won the 26th and 29th holes with birdie three’s, but Els then went back to four up at the 31st hole with a birdie three before finally clinching the match at the 32nd hole with a par.
Ernie Els on defeating Vijay Singh to book his place in the final of the 2003 World Match Play final: “I found something out there. I was lucky to get back in the game as it was tough out there. He really came back at me. I feel I came back this afternoon. The last three holes changed the whole outcome.”
Thomas Bjorn of Denmark clinched his place in the 2003 HSBC World Match Play final after Ben Curtis conceded the final hole of the afternoon round. It was a hard-fought victory for the Dane after a gritty display by the Open champion.
Curtis had moved to within just one hole of Thomas Bjorn with two to play when he won hole 32 after Bjorn conceded the hole. The Dane used a driver off the tee and found the trees, but gave up on the hole after being unable to find the fairway with his second shot.
Bjorn went into lunch leading by two holes after losing the 16th and 18th holes to birdies from Curtis. After lunch the American twice pulled a shot back at the 20th and 23rd holes with birdie two’s. Bjorn though restored his two hole lead at the 26th with a birdie three before two bogeys by the Dane at the 27th and 28th holes let Curtis back in the match.
The Ryder Cup star though again restored his two-shot lead with birdies at the 29th and 31st holes.
The second semi-final was always destined to be a close affair after the climax of the final round of the 2003 Open championship at Royal St George’s where Curtis finished just one shot ahead of the Dane. Bjorn had a clear lead in the closing stages until he came to grief in a pot bunker to the right of the 16th green, which allowed the American to sneak home.
Thomas Bjorn on being up against his friend Ernie Els in Sunday’s final: "I’m very well aware of what I’m up against, and well aware of what I’ve got to do tomorrow. If I play the way I played yesterday then I have a good chance."
Source – HSBC
