Els, Westwood in Match Play Final

Defending champion Ernie Els defeated Padraig Harrington, 5 and 4, Saturday to move into the final of the World Match Play Championship and stay on course for a record sixth title at Virginia Water, England.

Els, who shares the record of five World Match Play titles with Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros, will face Lee Westwood, who withstood a late comeback by Miguel Angel Jimenez to win the other semifinal, 1-up.

Westwood was 5-up with eight holes to play before Jimenez won three in a row and the 16th to make it close.

Els, who turns 35 today, will be appearing in the final for a record seventh time. His only loss in the final came against Vijay Singh in 1997. However, Westwood has beaten Els in the only two matches the two have played, in the second round in 1998 and the semifinals in 2000.

“It’s one thing making the final, another thing trying to win it,” Els said. “I’m sure Lee will have a lot of confidence. It’s a new game, a new match.”

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Tom Lehman, winless in four years, bounced back from an early bogey for a three-under-par 69 to join Brent Geiberger (71) at the top of the leaderboard in the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro (N.C.) at 12 under.

Four players -- including 2001 PGA champion David Toms -- were one shot back, with 10 more players within four strokes of the lead.

Last week in Las Vegas, Lehman led going into the final day before eventually tying for second, one shot back of Andre Stolz. He has five career victories, including the 1996 British Open, but none since the 2000 Phoenix Open.

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Mark McNulty had an eagle and five birdies in a seven-hole stretch to take a big second-round lead in the SBC Championship at San Antonio.

McNulty, who won the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am in February in his Champions Tour debut, finished with an eight-under 63 for a 12-under 130 total and a four-stroke advantage going into today’s final round.

Gary McCord, 2002 winner Dana Quigley and Morris Hatalsky were tied for second after 66s on the Oak Hills Country Club course.

Another shot back were Bruce Fleisher (66) and Allen Doyle (67), while first-round leaders Tom Kite (71) and Dave Stockton (71) were among a pack of five players at 137.