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| |  Friday, 8 June, 2001, 17:56 GMT 18:56 UK Els looks for repeat success Els in action at last year's US Open at Pebble Beach By BBC Sport Online's Tom Fordyce Believe some of the whispers in golfing circles and you might think there is only one man who can win the 2001 US Open. But while the shadow of Tiger Woods hangs ominously over the championship course at Southern Hills, two-time winner Ernie Els sees plenty of reasons for optimism. "I can win it," he states frankly. "I've done it before, and having that in your mind gives you a certain confidence.
"Nothing is certain in golf, and I won't start as favourite. "But I have a chance - and I will be fighting all the way." Current world no.3 Els is famed for the length of his game, albeit not to the extent of Woods. But those extra yards could prove crucial on a course which includes the 642-yard 5th (the longest par five in US Open history) and the 491-yard 16th (the longest par four). "It will suit my game," confirms Els, "but accuracy will be just as important. "The rough will be extremely hard to get out off if you go in. "The winner will be a player who consistently finds the fairways throughout the four days." At 31 years old, he still feels he can improve as a golfer. "Personally I need to do some work on my short game," he says. "With this game you are always learning. I think there is more to come from me."
On the bright side, he finished tied for second place. The bad news: he was 15 shots behind the winner - Woods. The South African knows what it is like to be the Great Young Hope of golf. When he beat Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts in a dramatic 18-hole play-off to win his first US Open title in 1994, he was just 24 years old. That made him the youngest winner since Jerry Pate in 1975. And Els admits that initially he found it difficult being upstaged by the even more youthful Woods. "When all the attention was on Tiger, a few of us found it strange," he says. "At that stage he hadn't won that much, and people were talking as if there were no other good golfers in the world."
"Tiger is a fantastic talent and his US Open win last year showed that," says Els. "There is no doubt he is good for golf. He gets more people interested in the game and gets the game more attention. "He will be hard to beat. But it is not impossible." If Tiger does take the title, he will become the first man in history to win five Majors in a row. The record-breaking triumph at Pebble Beach kick-started an incredible run which saw him take the Open, US PGA and this year's US Masters. While historical precedent is against him - since 1991, no champion has finished better than 40th in trying to defending his Open crown - Els believes Tiger justifies his favourite's tag. "I think Tiger can do the Grand Slam," he says. "He has shown that he can win each of the Majors, and he has shown he can win four in a row. "So why not all four in one season?" | |
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