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Ernie Els Moves To World No. 2 Trevor Immelman Moves To No.62 As He Wins The South African Airways Open Contact Matt Boucher (January 13, 2003) - Ernie Els got the PGA Tour off to a record-setting start on Sunday as he shot 31-under par to win the Mercedes Championships at the Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. Els, from Fancourt in South Africa, now moves comfortably past Phil Mickelson and into the World No.2 position for the first time since February 4th, 2001. He has now won 8 times worldwide in the past 13 months and with World No.1 Tiger Woods unable to earn a 2003 World Ranking point until at least the Buick Invitational on February 13th, Els will now lead a pack who have a unique opportunity to close the gap at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking. Within the World Top-10, Retief Goosen (T4) and David Toms both jump past Sergio Garcia to No.4 and No.5 while Vijay Singh's closing 65 returns him to World No.7. The impressive Korean Choi Kyoung-Ju moves up 15 to No.26 while Rocco Mediate improves 12 positions to World No.14. In the third tournament of the 2003 European Tour International Schedule, local hero Trevor Immelman won the South African Airways Open at Erinvale Golf Club in Cape Town. After a thrilling finish in which Immelman birdied the first hole of the sudden-death play-off, he now moves up 40 positions to his highest world ranking position ever of No.62. Runner-up and defending champion Tim Clark continues his climb up the world ranking as his 8-spot improvement takes him to World No.50. |