Ernie's ire at US 'farce'

WHOEVER christened Ernie Els 'The Big Easy' wasn't within earshot yesterday as the South African laid into American golf chiefs as an organisation and individuals.

Els is still struggling to shake off the disappointment and embarrassment of his final round 80 in the US Open at Shinnecock Hills last month, a collapse that has annoyed him to such an extent that yesterday he launched his most virulent tirade so far on the people he feels were largely responsible.

When told that an USGA official had suggested he had 'given up' in that final round, Els blasted: "I'd like to meet the guy who said that. He shouldn't have said that. How do you give up? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my entire life. I've never given up in any round of golf. If did give up, I'd have shot a hundred. They've got no idea. They've lost the plot in the story. To take one of the best golf courses in the world and to make a farce like that, I mean they've got egg on their face."

He wasn't finished, not by a long shot, and R&A officials looking on must have been relieved they hadn't done to Royal Troon this week what they did to Carnoustie in 1999. Otherwise you suspected they would have got Ernie's lob wedge over the head.

"It was out of control", he went on. "It was unplayable. I went from 2nd to 9th with an 80. That tells you how ridiculous it was. I don't feel that disappointed with my score for some reason because I know how good I was swinging, how good I was playing. For me to shoot 80 after playing so well, I'm laughing at that to be honest with you. And I'm disappointed at the way it became such a farce because it wasn't necessary, it was such a great golf course."

Much of Els's feeling of disenchantment at what happened at the US Open could be attributed to the fact that he would have superseded Tiger Woods as world number one had he come out on top. Hugely ambitious, he sees that as a target while declaring that the winning of major championships is more important.

"They're how you shape your career if you can get to that level and win as many as you can", he argued. "I've won only three but I feel I've played some good golf in majors in the last three or four years."

For now, Woods remains the number one. But Els is beginning to see things differently from three or four years ago, agreeing that "in the eye of the Tiger storm, whenever he teed it up, I felt he was going to score 67 or better. In majors, in normal Tour events, any event, that's the way I felt, that's how good he was playing. At the end of the week, that's 20 under par and he did that quite a few times in major championships. It was difficult for us all to believe our normal game was going to be good enough.

"Right now, it's different. When he plays really well, he's going to shoot 67. But if I play really well, I can shoot that score as well and I can keep doing so for three or four days. I think a lot of players are feeling that way now. We're on a more level playing field because Tiger has come back to the field a little bit."

If there is to be a non-American winner - the last five Troon champions are Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Watson, Mark Calcavecchia and Justin Leonard - then South Africans rather than Europeans look the most likely to put an end to the trend. Els capped his two US titles with the Open at Muirfield two years ago and now Retief Goosen has emulated his compatriot in the States.

Furthermore, he won at The K-Club in his only competitive outing since Shinnecock and yesterday said: "I enjoy going to Ireland and I've done well there in the past. This year was a new course and I liked it. They were pretty tough conditions and good preparation for this week."

Then, out of the blue, came the remark that will hardly sit well with his friend Ernie Els. Asked if Els had been of any help once he put himself out of contention at Shinnecock, Goosen commented: "Not really, he was still trying hard. I think after number 10, that's when he sort of gave up."