Monday, 15th October 2007 at 10:57 am

Ernie shows the Boks the way

As omens go, we couldn’t have asked for a better one: Ernie Els takes on Argentina’s Angel Cabrera in the final of the World Matchplay at Wentworth, and duly cruises home 6 and 4, taking his seventh Matchplay title, and setting a precedent for South Africa beating Argentina. “Ernie showed us the way earlier,” a smiling John Smit said after the semifinal victory over the Pumas - and nobody will be happier about that than Ernie himself.

Els made a mad dash to Paris after his victory to be at the game in person; he’ll doubtless be doing his best to get back for the final as well. And the Big Easy can afford a week off work - the one million pound cheque that comes with the Wentworth title should cover bread and milk for at least another fortnight. The money won’t be Els’s chief satisfaction, though, for aside from providing the Boks with some welcome inspiration, it’s also further proof that Els’s game is back to something approaching its best.

There have been flashes over the last few months, a consistent run towards the end of the FedEx Cup suggesting the winning form was very much on the horizon. That was confirmed conclusively at Wentworth, and 2008 is now a year Els will be dying to sink his teeth into. Which in turn is a bonus for South African fans, who’ll see an in-form Els at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the dunhill championship and the South African Airways Open; could a Springbok victory on Saturday return the favour by way of omens for Ernie Els?