Els Laps Field in BMW Asian Open Win By Sports Network - May 02, 2005 SHANGHAI, China -- Ernie Els closed out a round of 7-under 65 Monday to earn a convincing 13-stroke win at the BMW Asian Open. Els completed the event at 26-under-par 262, which easily broke the old scoring mark of 273 set by Padraig Harrington in 2003. Ernie Els holds up the trophy from his record-setting win in China.Els' record will not be official however as the entire event was played under preferred lies. Nevertheless, the South African claimed his 21st European Tour title. Simon Wakefield closed with a 1-over 73 to take second place at 13-under-par 275. European Ryder Cup member Thomas Bjorn took third at minus-12, while Eddie Lee and Jean-Francois Lucquin shared fourth place at 10-under-par 278. The final round was completed Monday morning in China after Sunday's action was delayed for over three hours due to lightning and eventually suspended due to darkness with 24 players left on the course. Els opened Monday's play by knocking in a 5-foot birdie putt at the seventh to move to 23 under par. He posted the fifth birdie of his final round on the ninth at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club. The South African birdied the par-4 11th for the first time in four rounds. Els came right back with a birdie on No. 12 to climb to 26 under par. He parred the final six holes to close out a bogey-free round. "It was a good week for me and the 62 in the second round was obviously the key to the victory," said Els. "But in the last two rounds I had to play really steady and not make any big mistakes and try and play aggressive where I could. It all worked out. I am very pleased, but it is just unfortunate that we could not finish on Sunday." Wakefield was never able to manage a charge at Els. After returning to the course Monday morning, the Englishman faltered to bogeys at the eighth and ninth to slip back to 12 under. He picked up two birdies and a bogey on the inward nine to finish alone in second place. "Obviously, it was not a great start bogeying eight and nine and walking down 10, I was thinking to myself that I wasn't enjoying it," Wakefield said. "Then I gave myself a kick up the backside and was thinking: 'You are playing golf with Ernie Els and you are not enjoying it. What's going on?' It has not sunk in yet and it won't until I get home and I sit down and think about what I have done." Luke Donald and Stuart Little shared sixth place at 9-under-par 279. Soren Hansen and South African James Kingston were one stroke further back at minus-8. Miguel Angel Jimenez, the 2004 champion, stumbled to a final-round 73. He finished in a tie for 28th at 3-under-par 285.