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Els holds Frost at bay in Durban

The world number three Ernie Els overcame a slow start to play some sparkling golf and capture his third South African Open title…

Mon Feb 09 1998 - 00:00

The world number three Ernie Els overcame a slow start to play some sparkling golf and capture his third South African Open title at the Durban Country Club yesterday.

David Frost was only one shot adrift of his compatriot overnight but he could not keep pace with Els who fired a final-round 69 to clinch victory with a 15-under-par total of 273. Frost finished on 276 with a 71 and Sweden's Patrick Sjoland was a distant third on 280 after a 69.

Els, who had previously lifted the title at Houghton in 1992 and Royal Cape in 1996, laughed at suggestions he could match the 13 wins of Gary Player. "Perhaps I might get near the nine of Bobby Locke but even that would take some doing," he said.

Els dropped a shot at the first hole when he missed the green but Frost failed to capitalise as he too had a bogey.

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Frost drew level with a birdie at the fourth and might have gone ahead at the fifth. But Els, who had visited the rough and a bunker, sank a long putt for par and that proved to be the turning point.

Els edged ahead despite a bogey at the seventh - Frost had a double bogey - and birdies at the eighth and 10th holes took him three shots clear.

Els virtually sealed victory with another birdie at the 13th to move four strokes clear. He dropped a shot at the 16th but a birdie on the last hole saw him home.

"I think both David and I were a bit tight when we teed off," said Els, "and I made a slow start. But I played good golf in the middle of the round before easing off a bit towards the end."

Switching his thoughts to the first of golf's majors, Els revealed that he is planning an all-out assault on the US Masters at Augusta National in April. "I think I've probably treated the course with too much respect in the past, and this time perhaps I should go in with a lot more aggressive attitude," he said.

"I think I need to try and force the course to give me more. That's what Tiger (Woods) did last year."

He admitted, however, that this was not normally his style. "It's tough to be really aggressive from the first hole in the first round. I like to establish my game first before I start getting aggressive. But if that's what it takes, then so be it."