Els ties the knot in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG -- South African golf star Ernie Els married his longtime sweetheart, 27-year-old Liezl Wehmeyer, in a ceremony in the heart of the Cape winelands area on New Year's Eve, newspapers reported here Sunday.

The wedding of the popular 29-year-old golfer was attended by a host of sporting celebrities, among them golfers John Bland, Hugh Baiocchi and Frank Nobilo, cricketers Gary Kirsten, Allan Lamb and West Indies captain Brian Lara, and former Springbok rugby star Jannie Engelbrecht, the Sunday Times said.

The ceremony, in a Dutch Reformed Church in the town of Stellenbosch, was followed by a stylish reception on a wine estate in the nearby picturesque town of Franschoek.

Guests were served a special wedding wine, a blend of six vintages to mark the number of years the couple have been together. The reception later turned into a New Year's Eve party, with guests partying well into the early hours.

TW 4/1/98