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Big Easy does it the hard way
by Mark Thornhill, EM Publications.
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| Ernie
Els won the Open Championship after a thrilling four-man playoff |
Ernie Els finally achieved the win his talent has always suggested
he was destined to - the Open Championship.
The man who more than any other has suffered in the wake of the
rise of Tiger Woods added a third major to his collection in one of the most thrilling
Open Championships in memory.
The 'Big Easy', who's outward 29 on the second day signalled that
here was a man at the peak of his form, survived the weather of round three to
go into the final day with a 2-shot lead.
But by the end of the final 18 holes, after a stretch of epic
play followed by a couple of nervous errors, Els found himself in the first ever
four-man playoff. And, again for the first time, the four-hole play-off also produced
a tie, bringing sudden-death into play at the 131st Open.
Els had finished the regulation 72 holes tied at six under par
with Australians Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington and Thomas Levet of France.
Another half dozen or so players could have been tied as well
- Scott Hoch, Davis Love III, Padraig harrignton and Japan's Shigeki Maruyama
were amongst the group which had all briefly flirted with the lead during the
afternoon.
But in the end only four remained. After the four men had played
the first, 16th, 17th and 18th holes the Australians were both eliminated, leaving
Els and Levet to make their way back to the 18th tee to play the hole for the
third time on the final afternoon. Els won with a par four that was made the hard
way, from a downhill lie in the left greenside bunker and a five-foot championship-winning
putt.
"That bunker shot was a piece of nerves," Levet said.
"He's very, very talented. I lost to a great player."
"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. 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."
The majority of the world's leading players all agreed before
the Open began that Muirfield was perfectly set up to test every aspect of the
game without giving an advantage to the power players.
Apart from adding some 30 yards to two short holes, the narrow
fairways and well positioned bunkers were rated a sufficient challenge. It was
anticipated that it would give far more players a realistic chance of victory.
And so it proved. The extreme weather conditions on the afternoon of the third
day took an unexpected toll of two of the game's greatest shot-makers.
Tiger Woods dream of the Grand Slam was dashed on Saturday with
an abysmal 81, but the world number one showed his extraordinary class with a
superb 65 on the final day.
Its been a tough lesson to learn for Woods, but afterwards he
was emphatic " You guys forget how hard it is to win one major, let alone
three in a row. I love this Championship and there are plenty of years left for
me to pick up that Jug again.
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