MELBOURNE, Feb 3: South Africa’s world number five Ernie Els said he felt positive about competing against Tiger Woods in 2002 after he closed with a three-under-par 69 to win the $1million Heineken Classic by five strokes on Sunday.

Els, 32, who led after each of the first three rounds, started the day with a four-stroke lead after scores of 64, 69 and 69 put him on 14-under-par.

The relaxed South African, nicknamed “The Big Easy”, had three birdies and two bogeys on the outward nine.

Taking advantage of his booming drives on the par-fives, Els had a birdie on the ninth and an eagle on the 10th to take a five-stroke lead.

Els then made eight consecutive pars.

Australia’s former world number one Greg Norman (69) and Briton Nick Faldo (69), boasting eight majors between them, finished tied for sixth on 10-under alongside Australia’s Stephen Leaney (70).

Final round scores:

271 Ernie Els (South Africa) 64 69 69 69

276 Peter Fowler 69 70 70 67, David Howell (Britain) 68 70 70 68, Peter O’Malley 68 68 70 70

277 Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 68 72 68 69

278 Nick Faldo (Britain) 67 73 69 69, Greg Norman 69 67 73 69, Stephen Leaney 70 66 72 70

280 Greg Owen (Britain) 73 70 68 69, Craig Parry 68 71 71 70

281 Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 69 69 77 66, Scott Laycock 73 68 71 69, Anthony Wall (Britain) 72 70 69 70

282 Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 71 73 72 66, Jarrod Moseley 70 70 71 71, Adam Scott 67 72 70 73, Richard Lee (New Zealand) 75 62 71 74, Barry Lane (Britain) 67 73 68 74

Pebble Beach National Pro-Am third round scores:

201 Pat Perez 66-65-70

205 Lee Janzen 68-67-70, Matt Gogel 66-72-67

206 Andrew Magee 69-70-67

208 Jerry Smith 67-69-72

209 Fred Couples 69-68-72, Paul Goydos 72-70-67, Jesper Parnevik (Sweden) 67-72-70, Phil Tataurangi (New Zealand) 67-72-70, Steve Flesch 73-67-69, Brent Schwarzrock 64-75-70, Mathew Goggin (Australia) 69-72-68.—Reuters