Ernie Els of South Africa reached three significant milestones when winning the HSBC World Match Play Championship for a record-breaking sixth time at Wentworth Club. That victory enabled Els to secure the Volvo Order of Merit for the second successive year, with record earnings of €4,061,904, and overhaul Colin Montgomerie on The European Tour Total Career Money Winnings list.
Although Scotland’’s Colin Montgomerie still tops The European Tour Career Official Earnings, which determines Category Nine Membership, Els is now untouchable in the list of all official events, special events and pro-ams with a total of €21,176,148 to Montgomerie’’s €20,638,054.
Only Lee Westwood – Els’’s vanquished opponent over the West Course- had previously topped €3 million when he captured the Volvo Order of Merit with €3,125,147 in 2000.
However Els sent his personal haul soaring through the €4 million mark with his 2 and 1 victory at Wentworth Club to retain the Harry Vardon Trophy which he won in equally emphatic style 12 months ago with €2,975,374 to his name.
Retief Goosen of South Africa, winner of the Volvo Order of Merit in 2001 and 2002, has €2,325,202 and Ireland's Padraig Harrington €1,864,793. Neither player can now overtake Els.
Records come easily to the South African, who celebrated his 35th birthday on the day of his victory over Westwood.
He has now won 18 times on The European Tour International Schedule from 155 starts, with three of those titles coming in 2004 via the Heineken Classic, the WGC – American Express Championship and the HSBC World Match Play Championship.
His prodigious feats have earned him the status of World Number Two and he set the single season record for the Volvo Order of Merit from 15 appearances. In the process, Els has averaged €270,793 per event. He enjoyed 14 top ten finished in those 15 events and has finished in the top ten a total of 85 times in his European Tour career.
Remarkably , Els has now won ten tournaments on The European Tour International Schedule since the start of 2002 from just 47 events, amassing €9,288,985.
Below are some of Els’’s achievements this season:
• Moves to €4,061,903 in the Volvo Order of Merit to win his second consecutive Volvo Order of Merit title and sets a new record for single seasons earnings
• Has averaged €270,793 per event on the 2004 European Tour International Schedule from his 15 events played
• Fourth consecutive year that the Volvo Order of Merit has gone to South Africa, following Retief Goosen (2001, 2002) and Ernie Els (2003, 2004)
• His 18th European Tour International Schedule victory in his 155th European Tour event
• Third European International Schedule victory in 2004, following the Heineken Classic and World Golf Championships – American Express Championship
• His fifth world wide victory of 2004, following the Heineken Classic and World Golf Championships – American Express Championship on The European Tour and the Sony Open in Hawaii and Memorial Tournament on the US PGA Tour
• His 52nd win world wide as a professional
• Only the second player to win three or more times on the 2004 European Tour International Schedule, following Miguel Angel Jiménez, who has four victories
• The 63rd South African win on The European Tour
• The seventh South African victory on the 2004 European Tour International Schedule. Ernie Els (Heineken Classic, World Golf Championships – American Express Championship and HSBC World Match Play Championship), Trevor Immelman (South African Airways Open and Deutsche Bank – SAP Open TPC of Europe) and Retief Goosen (US Open Championship and Smurfit European Open
• His 14th top ten finish in 2004 from 15 events and 85th of his European Tour career from just 155 events
• Now won ten European Tour International Schedule titles since the beginning of 2002 from just 47 events, amassing €9,288,985 in European Tour Official Earnings
