Els wins second U.S. Open; Woods finishes plus
6
By RON SIRAK
Associated Press
BETHESDA, Md. - The last time the U.S. Open was at Congressional
Country Club, it ended with a dazed Ken Venturi, faint from heat
exhaustion, walking to victory down the 18th fairway.
This time it ended with a dazed Tom Lehman walking down that
same fairway after plunking his ball into the pond, all but wrapping
up Ernie Els' second U.S. Open triumph in four years.
That 18th hole for Venturi in 1964 was the 17th in this tournament,
but the look of bewilderment on Lehman's face was eerily reminiscent
of Venturi, just as this U.S. Open was a cruel replay of past
disappointments for Lehman and Colin Montgomerie.
For Els, it meant his second victory in the U.S. Open at the
same age Jack Nicklaus got his second - just 27 years old.
For Lehman, it was the third time in three years he took the
lead into the final round of the U.S. Open only to come up short.
For Montgomerie, it meant he now has two bitter seconds and
a third in the Open since 1992 and still has not won any of the
four major championships.
The tournament ended when Els knocked in a testy 4-foot putt
on the final hole to finish at 4-under-par 276, one stroke ahead
of Montgomerie and two better than Lehman.
But while the putt on 18 was the winner, the tournament was
really decided on No. 17. Els had the shot of the day on the 480-yard
hole when he hit a 5-iron from 212 yards to just 12 feet on the
dangerous peninsula green.
"Seventeen was probably the shot of the tournament for
me," Els said. "I'm unbelievably delighted. Winning
U.S. Opens doesn't come easy. I really worked hard for this one."
Playing in the group behind Els and having made a bogey on
No. 16 to fall one stroke behind, Lehman boldly tried to attack
the dangerous pin and ended in the water, his ball bouncing off
the bank left of the green.
"I'd give anything in the world for a mulligan,"
Lehman said. "It was a shock to look up and see the ball
not going where I wanted it to go."
The shock was all over his face. He froze as he watched the
ripples vanish in the water, took off his hat, rubbed his faced
in exasperation and walked to retrieve his ball from the water
with a look of total pain.
"Losing three in a row," Lehman said, his voice trailing
off as he thought back over his closing 73. "This is probably
the toughest one. I felt like I had everything going my way."
Els was on the 18th tee when Lehman hit into the water.
"I could hear from the crowd someone was in the water
and I didn't know if it was Tom or Jeff," Els said. "But
I knew things were looking good on my side."
Montgomerie also slipped from a share of the lead on No. 17,
missing a 5-foot par putt. His try for a birdie from 25 feet on
the final green was a very difficult putt that never had a chance
to go in.
When Els' final putt fell, the South African raised both arms
in triumph over his head, gave a playful hug to his caddie, and
then sank into a warm embraces with his mother, father and girlfriend.
It was the third straight year Lehman has played in the final
group at the U.S. Open and the third time he has come up short,
finishing second last year and third in 1995.
Montgomerie has had his own disappointments in major championships.
In addition to losing the 1994 U.S. Open in a playoff to Els,
he lost the 1995 PGA in a playoff to Steve Elkington.
Els had to go extra holes to win his first U.S. Open and he
needed to play some extra holes Sunday as well. Returning to the
course at 7 a.m. to complete the rain-delayed third round, Els
made three birdies in the five holes he played, then shot a 69
in the final round.
His 4-under-par effort for 23 holes on Sunday was a magnificent
effort on a day when the field averaged nearly 4-over par.
Lehman started the day with a two-stroke lead over Els and
Jeff Maggert and three ahead of Montgomerie. But by the time that
foursome - playing in the final two groups of the day - reached
the 11th hole, they were tied at 4-under par.
Only Els was able to walk off the 18th green still at that
number.
He got to 4 under with a chip-in from 15 yards on No. 10 -
one of only four birdies on that hole all day - and got to 5 under
on No. 12 when he stuffed a 5-iron on the 187-yard par-3 to 12
feet and made the putt.
Els gave that stroke back with a bogey out of the deep rough
on the next hole, but finished with five straight pars - something
none of the other three could do.
"Funny things happen in majors," Els said. "You've
just got to hang in there. At U.S. Opens, you just try to make
par."
Maggert, who ended up shooting a 74 to finish fourth at 1-over
par, was the first to fall by the wayside. He had a three putt
on No. 13, missing a 5-footer, then bogeyed No. 16 out of the
greenside rough and made a double on No. 17 with another three
putt.
Lehman slipped back with a bogey on No. 14, playing two shots
from the rough, but roared back on the next hole with a sand wedge
from 107 yards that nearly went in the cup on the fly, ending
up 18 inches from the hole for birdie.
Montgomerie, who finished third in the 1992 U.S. Open, hung
with Els, his playing partner, by making seven consecutive pars
on the back nine with some clutch putting.
He saved his par with a 12-foot putt on No. 10 and made a 10-foot
par save on No. 14. His bogey on No. 17 came when he pushed his
6-iron from 203 yards into the right greenside rough. He chipped
to 5 feet but the magic ran out, and he missed.
"If I knock on the door enough, as I seem to be doing,
especially in this tournament, the door will open one day,"
Montgomerie said. "I just got to be patient."
The youthful Els has now won four times on the PGA Tour, including
his two U.S. Opens. He also had a great chance to win the 1995
PGA Championship at Riviera when he took the lead into the final
round, but he played too conservatively and saw Montgomerie and
Elkington sprint past him.
His swing is regarded as one of the best in golf and his touch
around the greens is as deft as his power. His accuracy off the
tee is awesome.
Els, in his brief career, also has established a reputation
of being at his best when it means the most. He has now finished
12th or higher 11 times in the four Grand Slam events.
At his tender age and with his ample ability, Els should emerge
as one of the golfers who will keep Tiger Woods from dominating
golf.
Woods, who never seemed to find the patience needed to win
the U.S. Open this week as he sought to follow up on his Masters
victory, finished with a 72 on Sunday and was at 6 over par, 10
strokes behind Els, ending talk of a Grand Slam bid.
Winning all four majors in the same year could be a difficult
task for Woods - or anyone - while Els is around.
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