HONOLULU, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Ernie Els became the first player in 14 years to win the first two events of the PGA Tour season Sunday, defeating Aaron Baddeley with an improbably birdie on the second playoff hole at the Sony Open.
Els rolled in a 55-foot putt from off the 10th green before Baddeley narrowly missed his 20-foot birdie try. The two had birdied the par-5 18th to prolong the playoff.
Ranked second in the world, Els rallied from a two-shot deficit before winning for the second time in as many weeks. He claimed the season-opening Mercedes Championships at Kapalua before claiming the first full-field event of the year.
The South African star, who has four PGA Tour wins in the last 10 months, became the first player since Steve Jones in 1989 to claim the first two events of the year.
Baddeley was valiant in defeat, sinking a clutch birdie putt on the final hole of regulation to force a playoff, but came up empty in a bid for his first PGA Tour victory.
Els shot a 3-under 67 Sunday to tie Baddeley at 16-under 264. Chris DiMarco was alone in third at 266 while Robert Allenby and Jerry Kelly tied for fourth at 268.
The two quick wins give Els $1.7 million and give him a head start on Tiger Woods in the race for 2003 honors. Woods has sat out the early part of the PGA Tour schedule after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
