Big Easy does it the hard way

ERNIE ElS, the man they call the Big Easy because of his laid back manner, coped with pressure he never really knew existed before emerging as the 131st Open champion at Muirfield last evening.

The 32-year-old from Johannesburg looked to have the title safely wrapped up when he stood seven under and led by two strokes coming to the par three 16th. That's where his troubles began. He ran up a double bogey to drop back to six under for the championship and by that point he had been overtaken by the Frenchman Thomas Levet and two Australians, Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington.

It meant Els needed to birdie the long 17th and par the 18th to stay in the race. He did so with commendable composure and so paved the way for the longest play-off in Open history. Those to previously prevail in extra time were Mark Calvecchia at Troon in 1989; John Daly, St Andrews, 1995; Mark O'Meara at Birkdale in 98 and the most memorable of all, Paul Lawrie at Carnoustie the following year. They all prevailed within the first four holes.