HONOLULU (Hawaii), Jan 20: Ernie Els won the Hawaii Open in dramatic fashion on Sunday, sinking a 55-foot birdie putt to beat dogged Aaron Baddeley in a playoff.

Els and Baddeley, in his first event as a PGA Tour member, staged a tight final-round duel before finishing tied at 16-under-par 264 as Baddeley sank a clutch 11-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation at Waialae Country Club.

Both players returned to the par-five 18th for the playoff and made birdie putts before the world No 2 won it at the second extra hole, the par-four 10th.

Els, who started the final round two strokes behind Baddeley, shot a three-under 67 while Baddeley carded a 69. They finished two strokes ahead of American Chris DiMarco.

Els, 33, who also won last week’s season-opening Mercedes Championships — open only to tour winners — collected US$810,000 for his 12th PGA Tour victory.

He is the first player since Steve Jones in 1989 to win the first two events of the year.

THe South African actually has won his last three starts, after dusting the field at the 12-man Nedbank Challenge in Sun City, South Africa, late last year. His three victories have earned him a combined $3.81 million.

Els probably wouldn’t have needed a playoff had his putt not struck Baddeley’s marker, a thick English coin, at the 17th hole.

Baddeley subsequently missed a par putt from inside three feet, about the only short putt he missed all week, to fall one behind. However, he made amends with an 11-foot birdie at the last to force extra holes.

Baddeley had a chance to stay alive at the second playoff hole but left his 20-foot putt just short.

Leading final round scores (US unless stated):

264 — Ernie Els (South Africa) 66, 65, 66, 67; Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 66, 64, 65, 69 (Els won in a sudden-death playoff).

266 — Chris DiMarco 65, 66, 69, 66.

268 — Jerry Kelly 68, 68, 67, 65; Robert Allenby (Australia) 68, 69, 65, 66.

269 — Stuart Appleby (Australia) 68, 71, 67, 63.

270 — Chris Riley 65, 69, 69, 67; Fred Funk 66, 68, 69, 67; Joe Durant 67, 69, 67, 67; Shigeki Maruyama (Japan) 66, 66, 69, 69; Briny Baird 68, 65, 67, 70.

271 — Dan Forsman 68, 70, 69, 64; Peter Lonard (Australia) 66, 65, 72, 68; Robert Gamez 66, 69, 65, 71.

272 — Carl Paulson 70, 69, 68, 65; Cameron Beckman 69, 69, 68, 66; Charles Howell III 70, 66, 68, 68; Tim Petrovic 68, 67, 68, 69; Corey Pavin 67, 68, 68, 69.

273 — Pat Perez 70, 70, 69, 64; David Peoples 71, 69, 66, 67; Vijay Singh (Fiji) 67, 70, 68, 68; Loren Roberts 67, 68, 70, 68; Jason Gore 70, 67, 68, 68; Andrew Magee 71, 65, 68, 69; Retief Goosen (South Africa) 64, 66, 72, 71.—AFP/Reuters