Monday, July 24, 2000
Ernie gets used to being No. 2 to Woods
By ROBERT MILLWARD
AP Sports Writer
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Ernie Els is still leading the
chase to catch up with Tiger Woods.
Els has finished second to Woods six times, more than any other
player, and twice in a major championship this year alone.
The South Africa star placed second, though 15 strokes behind
Woods, in last month's U.S. Open and his second-place finish in
the British Open on Sunday even set up a change in the world rankings.
Woods stays No. 1. Guess where Els is?
The South African, who moved above David Duval, is resigned to
being No. 2 to Woods as long as the young American maintains his
phenomenal game.
“I'm playing a different tournament,” Els said. “I
play the regular tour event and Tiger plays his own.”
Els' final-round 69 gave him a share of second place with Denmark's
Thomas Bjorn, but eight shots behind Woods who made golf history
by becoming the youngest player to complete a Grand Slam of majors.
Runner-up to Vijay Singh in this year's Masters and to Woods in
the U.S. Open, Els became the first player to finish second in
three consecutive majors.
He finished second in the Open mainly because of Duval's collapse.
Duval, who started the day in second, needed four shots to get
out of the Road Hole bunker on No. 17 and wound up with a 75 for
a share of 11th place.
That left Els in his customary position — seeing Woods take
home the trophy.
“In one way it is incredible to watch a guy play so much
better than the rest of the world,” he said. “And it
is tough to sit down and talk about him every time. I might have
to get used to it but I guess that's the way it goes.”
A two-time winner of the U.S. Open, Els went into the Open rated
the player most likely to beat Woods following a victory last
week in the Loch Lomond tournament.
But his 15-stroke loss to Woods in the U.S. Open illustrates the
gulf between the two players and it was the same story at St.
Andrews.
“I guess I could play as good as I can this week but I wasn't
going to win,” Els said. “If I really played as good
as I could I don't think I would have got to 20 under like Tiger.
So second is nice.”
Woods finished 19 under after dropping a stroke at the 17th, but
he still wound up with a record Open victory score in relation
to par.
“To be so far behind the winner is tough to take,” Els
said. “But what can you do?”
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