Ernie Els completed a second successive US PGA Tour victory at the storm-hit Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando today to rubberstamp his outstanding form with The Masters now only ten days away.
The 40-year-old South African survived a tense finish to beat Italian Edoardo Molinari and American Kevin Na by two after the event spilled into a fifth day.
Els, among 21 players unable to complete his final round on Sunday, resumed two ahead with four to play, but that became one when Na birdied the long 16th.
In the trees off the tee at the same hole, Els had to settle for par there, but as he saved another par from a greenside bunker on the short 17th Na found trouble down the last.
Driving into the right-hand rough led to a bogey five, dropped the Korean-born player alongside former US Amateur champion Molinari on nine under par. Both closed with three-under 69s.
Els, who sank testing six-footers at the 15th and 17th, knew a bogey would be good enough at the final hole, but parred it for a 71, an 11 under aggregate and his 64th professional victory.
He lifted the WGC-CA Championship in Miami by a much more comfortable four-shot margin two weeks ago and this was a far nervier affair.
Molinari, meanwhile, once more overtakes his brother Francesco — fourth in the Andalucian Open yesterday — on the world rankings and has given his Ryder Cup chances another big boost.
The two World Cup winners are both in the running for debuts in September and will link up at Augusta next week for the opening major of the year.