GOLF: Ernie Els, never behind all week, survived a sudden attack of the jitters to win his fourth World Matchplay title at Wentworth yesterday.

In his first appearance since the birth of his son Ben two weeks ago - and three days on from his own 33rd birthday - the British Open champion made it a time of triple celebration by beating Spain's Sergio Garcia 2 and 1 in the 36-hole final.

On Wednesday South African Els had said: "I couldn't ask for a better year - win a major and a little boy comes along."

But if he really wanted icing on the cake, this did very nicely.

Having sent Colin Montgomerie to his heaviest-ever defeat - 6 and 5 - in the quarter-finals and then seeing off Vijay Singh, Els appeared to be cruising at five-up after 12 and three-up with six to play.

But with the winning line in sight he visited two bunkers and the crowd on the 31st hole and double-bogeyed it, then badly pulled a four-foot putt to bogey the next.

Garcia, now only one down, had a real opportunity, but the 22-year-old, shortly to take possession of the house he has bought from Els in Orlando, could not take over the match as well.

He hooked his drive at the 34th hole and after two hacks - one of them left-handed - he conceded the hole, then was twice in the trees on the 571-yard next.

Els did not have to putt again and so moved one behind Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros, both of whom lifted the trophy five times in their careers.

"Sergio always keeps it interesting," he said. "He is so talented. I was not putting well - I guess I made all my putts against Colin - and I felt pretty down when I missed that one to be only one-up.

"In the afternoon Sergio came out really well and he could have birdied the first four holes but he missed a few putts and gave me some breathing space.

"I felt in control most of the way and this week I just hung on to all my leads. I just managed to keep on top of the guys this week. Keep the pressure on.

"To win this title again now means even more because of where I live. It's become home."

His British base is beside the 16th hole of the West Course.

Els' success, however, came only after a puzzling concession by the Spaniard early in their 36-hole final.

Match referee John Paramor was as surprised as anyone on the 396-yard seventh hole when Garcia told Els to pick up his marker when there was still a chance he could halve the hole.

The only European to make it into the last four missed the green and then saw his chip fail to make it up the tier and roll back towards him about 60 feet from the flag.

He needed to hole the putt for his par, but with Els six feet away in two he did not try and walked to the next tee.

That was strange, but Els' start was simply brilliant.

The South African's outward 30 in the morning matched his start against Montgomerie on Friday, when he went on to break the championship record with a 12 under par round of 60.

That score seemed a possibility again when he made a 14-footer for birdie at the 11th and 12-footer for eagle on the next, but he was bunkered twice both on the 15th and 16th and bogeyed each of them.

Garcia had a chance to narrow the gap to two at the 571-yard 17th, but from just short of the green played a clumsy chip 10 feet past and in the end was relieved to halve the hole.

Garcia's second to the 531-yard last was carving towards the trees when it hit the line of spectators on its first bounce and came back in the clear, from where he chipped to four feet and saved a half in birdie fours. Els was round in 65 and Garcia in 68.

Garcia became the first player all week to birdie the opening hole when he made a 12-footer on the resumption and when he pitched to two feet at the 24th he was only one behind.

However, his next shot was a drive into a ditch and, forced to take a penalty drop, he lost it to a par four, Els playing a fine delicate chip to within inches of the flag.

Garcia moved onto his opponent's heels again with an 18-foot birdie putt at the 26th, but once again he followed it with an error, driving into the trees at the next and bogeying it.

Worse was to follow for the young Spaniard when Els made a putt of nearly 40 feet for a two at the 28th - and a three-hole lead with eight to play.

There were more twists to come, but Garcia, who came from four down to beat Michael Campbell and three down to beat Padraig Harrington, could not do it again.

Els said that the 22-year-old Spaniard is good enough to become only the sixth player in golf history to win a career Grand Slam.

Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods are the only men to have captured all four major championships.

But Els said: "In 10 years' time I expect Sergio to be close. He has so much talent.

"He's definitely not your average tour player. He tries to let you know he's there all the time. He's not going to back down.

"Fortunately or unfortunately - whichever way you look at it - he is playing in the Tiger era, but he is very capable of doing that".

Els is now only one Wentworth win away from another of his goals - to equal the record five titles achieved by his compatriot Player and Ballesteros.

"That became a target when I won for the third time in 1996. It seemed quite easy, but then I lost the final to Vijay (Singh) the following year and I struggled.

"This year, though, I felt comfortable."

Garcia said before rushing off to catch a plane back home: "I thought I could come back, but it was great fun out there and played in the right spirit.

"Ernie is a wonderful guy, we had some laughs and Ernie was the guy who played the best.

"He played better through the whole tournament."