GOLF: On a day of wicked intent, if not quite of the apocalyptic severity that was forecast, Ernie Els provided a ray of brightness amid the grey gloom of Mount Juliet.
In firing a final-round 69 for a winning 72-holes total of 18-under-par 270, the South African claimed the American Express World Golf Championship by a stroke from Denmark's Thomas Bjorn - "I never seem to get things served on a platter," he quipped - and moved above Tiger Woods to number two in the world rankings.
Ironically, on a day when the tail-end of Hurricane Jeanne hit the Irish countryside, justifying the decision to move forward the tee times and cramming play into a two-tee start, Els's victory - his fourth of the year, but his first since May in a summer and autumn that tantalisingly lured only to offer deception - leaves only Vijay Singh ahead of him in those rankings. Singh was absent from the $7-million tournament because of the effect the hurricane had on his home in Florida.
As we know, the Irish weather can be a fickle beast. But, despite its best efforts to ruin the final day's play, the large galleries of appropriately-clothed spectators in wet suits were treated to a showdown that evolved between Els, who had carried a two-shot lead into the final round, and Bjorn, with a number of bit players lurking in case of any slip-ups from the major participants. There were to be no such catastrophes, and Els ended his four-month drought since his last success.
"It seems like when I win, I've got to play well," said Els. "All my wins this year so far have been tough ones. This was another one. I mean, Thomas has come from nowhere and he's played like he has been up there every week. He played like Tiger or Vijay. He just wouldn't go away. It was tough playing the weather conditions and against him on a tough course. All in all, very rewarding." Indeed, Els's win all but confirms he will again top the European Tour money list.
Woods found no such salvation. In failing to successfully defend, he is now without a strokeplay title anywhere in the world. His only win this year came in the Accenture matchplay back in February and, having lost his number one ranking to Singh a month ago, he now slips to number three.
Apparently, the word is that Woods is marrying his fiancée, Elin Nordegrin, at the Sandy Lane resort in Barbados this week, possibly on Wednesday, although all he would divulge after finishing his round yesterday was that he was "ready to go diving (in the Caribbean). I'm ready to hop in that water and shoot some fish".
Of his golf game, Woods insisted the swing changes he underwent in 1997 and 1998 were more frustrating than his present difficulties. "I've been close this year. I've come within a shot of making a play-off two straight weeks during the year and I don't know how many second place finishes I've had . . . '97 and '98 was definitely a lot worse because I did not play well during that stretch. I was more consistent, yes, but I wasn't contending," said Woods.
While Els was outlasting Bjorn to take the 51st title of his professional career, there was a hint of promise elsewhere. Not least from Darren Clarke, who is attempting to revise contractual commitments in the Far East in the hope he may yet play alongside Padraig Harrington in the World Cup in Spain in November.
After starting his round with an eagle two when he holed out with his wedge shot on the first, Clarke threatened to gatecrash the party only to find holing putts a more difficult proposition. He did, however, birdie the last for a closing-round 68 for 12-under-par 276, which moved him into tied-fourth.
Harrington, for his part, struggled with his "focus" and had a 73 for 277, which left him in tied-sixth. "I found it very hard to focus," explained Harrington, who moved up to third in the European Order of Merit. "I tried as hard as I could to get plenty of energy and to try and focus but my mind just didn't settle. I put it down to mental tiredness."
