Gullane, Scotland ? Ernie Els didn’t need Tiger Woods around to show he still has the mettle of a major champion.

Els rebounded from one setback after another Sunday, most of it his own doing, and outlasted Thomas Levet of France to win the British Open in a four-man playoff that produced the first sudden-death finish in the 142-history of the tournament.

Els squandered a three-stroke lead on the back nine at Muirfield, only to recover with a birdie-par finish to get into the four-hole playoff. He held it steady with pars, then won with a bunker shot on the first extra hole that will become the signature of this Open.

With his right foot anchored on the top of a bunker left of the 18th green, and not much room to make a swing, Els blasted out to 5 feet (1.6 meters). The winning par putt just curled in the right side and the engraver could finally get to work on the silver claret jug.

No other trophy has ever meant so much.

Els honed his game on European tour soil and was destined for greatness until Woods came along and started collecting majors at a frightening rate. Els has been runner-up to him twice in the majors, six times overall.

He won the British Open the same way he won his two U.S. Open titles – with grit and determination, unfazed even when it looked as though he had wasted his chances.

“This was one of the hardest tournaments I’ve ever played,” Els said. “The emotions I went through today – I don’t think I’ve ever been through that.”

It was the third major championship for the 32-year-old Els, his first since the U.S. Open at Congressional five years ago.

None of three was easy, but this one tops the list.

Ahead by as many as three shots on the back nine, his lead was down to one when Els took double bogey on the 16th to fall one stroke behind, a perilous position that left him no room for mistakes.

He didn’t make any, finishing with a 1-under 70 to join Levet, Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington at 6-under 278.

The largest British Open playoff prior to Sunday involved three players in 1999 at Carnoustie and in 1989 at Royal Troon. The lowest score over four holes is the winner.

Levet, who closed with a 66, shook Muirfield with a 50-foot (15 meter) birdie putt on the 16th hole – the second hole in the playoff rotation – but started to feel the pressure and was lucky to escape the final two playoff holes with a par and a bogey.

Els made it through with four pars, and they returned to the 18th for the first sudden-death playoff in Open history. Both finished the four holes in even par.

Appleby, who birdied three of the last four holes for a 65 to get into the playoff, hit his approach into the right bunker, couldn’t get on the green and made bogey to finish 1 over in the playoff. Elkington, the ’95 PGA champion who closed with a 66, missed a 6-foot par putt on No. 18 and also dropped out at 1-over.

Els and Levet headed back to the 18th, with the Frenchman cupping his hand to his ear – a gesture meant to prod the Scottish gallery for more support. It didn’t help.

Hitting driver on the 448-yard hole, he found a pot bunker on the left side of the fairway. The best he could do was advance it down the fairway, and bogey was imminent.

Els split the middle with a safe 2-iron, but then pulled a 5-iron into the greenside bunker, leaving himself more work. He came through with another clutch shot, then faced perhaps the longest 5-foot putt of his life.

It was shaky, but it was good enough.

Emotionally exhausted, Els tossed his cap high in the air and managed to raise both arms in celebration and relief. Levet did his part, hoisting the 6-foot-4 South African into the air.

“At times, I really thought I would never put my hands on this,” Els said, cradling the trophy. “I truly do not know how I made this 5-foot putt to win the championship. It was truly hard work, but nobody said it was going to be easy.”

It proved to be far more difficult for Woods, who was trying to win the third leg of the Grand Slam but shot himself out of the tournament with an 81 in the third round, his worst score as a professional.

He left town on a much better note. Woods had seven birdies for a 65, matching the best score of a sunny, almost balmy day in Scotland. He finished at even-par 284, tied for 29th.

No one saw history in the making Sunday, but the gallery was hardly deprived of drama.

Muirfield was a mixture of cheers and moans that resounded across the links, and both belonged to Els.

Starting with No. 9, he birdied three of four holes to build a three-stroke lead and suddenly seized command of the tournament. If only the ending had been so easy.

The roller coaster began when Els hit into a pot bunker on the par-3 13th green that had a wall so steep that he could barely see over the top. He had to place his left foot on the sodded wall, and the ball was nestled in a furrow from where the sand had been raked. Els dug in and blasted out to 2 feet for a remarkable save.

It was the kind of shot that wins majors, only Els had much more work left.

He found another bunker off the 14th tee and had to play out sideways, leading to bogey. But the real damage came on the par-3 16th, where Els had a one-stroke lead and a 7-iron in his hands.

He pulled it long and left, and all the way down a swale. Then, Els hit his chip too hard. It went to the front of the green, paused, then continued onto the fairway. He chipped back and missed an 8-foot putt, taking double bogey.

Suddenly one stroke behind, Els gathered himself quickly and smashed a drive down the 17th fairway, allowing him to easily reach the green in two and take two putts for birdie to make it a foursome at the top.

Els had a 30-foot birdie putt to avoid the playoff, but came up short.

If the sloppy ending looked familiar, think back to Southern Hills at the U.S. Open last year where Els’ childhood friend, Retief Goosen, had a three-putt from 12 feet on the final hole to drop into a playoff.

Goosen won the 18-hole playoff the next day. Els only had to go five extra holes, but he accomplished his goal – a silver jug with his name on it.