Ernie bucks the Tiger

Never mind monkeys and gorillas or any other simians who earn their living swinging from golf course to golf course…Ernie Els has got a great big, bloody Tiger off his back.

It was apt that Ernie’s victory in the Genuity championship came over the Doral resort in Miami’s Blue Monster course because it represented the slaying of a metaphorical monster in the mind of the man who remains South Africa’s leading golfer.

Another loss to Woods might have stuck like an imbedded ball in the psyche of Els because, in spite of that Big Easy tag, he would again have fallen prey to the prowling Tiger.

According to US Tour stats Els has finished runner-up to Woods six times – three more than any other player.

There have been dramatic battles, such as at the Mercedes Championship in Hawaii two years ago when they matched eagles on the 18th hole to get into a playoff, which Woods won with a 40-foot birdie putt.

And there have been insufferable setbacks, such as Woods winning the US Open at Pebble Beach by 15 shots and the British Open by eight shots at St Andres during his record-setting year in 2000.

But the duel that probably hurt the most was when Woods made up an eight-stroke deficit in the final round and beat Els in a playoff at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand four years ago.

Always a master of the understatement, Els admitted “this would have been a difficult one to swallow."

But in spite of Woods using his position in the group in front of Ernie to put on the pressure with a perfect three-birdie start Els did not buckle. He seemed to shake and swallow… but he did not buckle.

Ernie was nervous, in fact more nervous than I can recall seeing him, but he coped with everything Tiger could throw at him.

He got the ball up and down when it mattered, made that crucial birdie putt on the 12th and blotted out of his mind the fact that he had made a double bogey six on the final hole two years previously when he had a chance to force a play-off.

Ernie does not dwell on these matters but it would also have been on his mind that when he won the International 19 months previously the American Press had made much of the fact that Woods was not present.

This time he was there. Right there in front of Ernie working the gallery into a frenzy. And Ernie stared him down. It may well be that events of Sunday afternoon at Doral turn out to be even more important than Els' US Open victories. Next time the Tiger is on the prowl our guy won’t run for cover.

If there was any question about the pressure Els felt, it was answered when he putted out for par on the ninth and saw a delay on the 10th tee. Els elected to sit on his bag just off the ninth green rather than wait with Woods on the tee box.

“It was getting tight," Els drolly told American reporters. "I don't know what I would have said to him. I don't know if I would have punched him or kicked him in the knees. We were very competitive. He's a good friend of mine, but I can say hello to him at some other time."

Els acknowledged Woods’ amazing presence. "There's a different buzz and the people really get behind him,'' Els said. "It's pretty difficult, especially, you know, Tiger being Tiger.''

Golfers being golfers both Els and Woods were gracious. "Well, I think he was the story today,'' Els said of the final round. "I was the story the first three rounds, but let's face it, he was today. You know, I'm happy to talk about him since I won. I've had to talk about him in the past when he's won. This is a better feeling.''

“He has wiped out leads like that before," Els said. "When he gets on a roll, it's hard sometimes for him to hit a bad shot. It's not a very comfortable feeling."

Woods, too, was complimentary about the gauntlet thrown down by Ernie. "I think, of all the players I have consistently played against, it's probably Ernie more down the stretch,'' Woods said. "More frequently, a lot of times.''

Wouldn’t it be nice if it happened again on sun-dappled April afternoon in Augusta.