He then had to wait to discover his opponent in the battle for the �1million first prize, but it was favourite and record six-time winner Ernie Els who overcame Swede Henrik Stenson by three and two. Behind by one on four separate occasions during their morning round, the South African turned that into a two-hole lead with four to play before closing out the game.

Els is now certain to go top of the European Order of Merit after completing the win over Stenson, even though he has not won a tournament all year.

"Whenever I play the Match Play, with what I've done in the past, I've got a good vibe, " he had said after his easy wins over Colin Montgomerie and Andres Romero.

"But I'd like to think that if I get the first one it can lead into quite a few other ones."

Cabrera has had a win and two seconds on the West Course himself, but those were in the stroke play PGA Championship. He was round in a six-under 66 before lunch and on resuming three up sank a 28-foot birdie putt on the opening green. Mahan bogeyed the 21st and when Cabrera rolled in an 18-footer for eagle at the next the gap was six. The Californian showed himself to be a fighter, though. With four birdies in the next six holes he cut the gap to two and after Cabrera birdied the 29th Mahan stayed alive with a 12-footer on the 34th. Els' putting let him down badly in his first circuit of the lay-out he has re-designed himself, but on the resumption he made a 15footer . . . it made him the first man to reach 200 under par for all his appearances in the event . . . and when Stenson missed from closer they were level for the fifth time. What appeared to be the crucial stretch, however, began when Stenson three-putted the seventh. Els was ahead for the first time and promptly hit a wedge to four feet and then a six-iron almost as close.

Three down with nine to play Stenson holed from 23 feet at the next and was favourite to win the 29th. But Els, bunkered off the tee and short of the green in two, holed from 12 feet for an important half. Just as vital were the eight-footer on the 30th and pitch to four feet at the following hole, both of which helped him stay two ahead. Another eight-foot putt . . . his sixth single putt in a row . . . kept it that way on the next before he allowed his class to show and secure a place in today's final after a three and two victory.