ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ernie Els' win yesterday gave him a sweep of the two Hawaii tournaments.
With his sudden-death victory in yesterday's Sony Open, Ernie Els now has back-to-back wins on the PGA Tour and $1,810,000 in earnings for 2003. What's more, he has posted eight consecutive rounds in the 60s, which adds up to a staggering 47-under-par. Els gets it together
to challenge Tiger
Els beat Baddeley in Sony playoff
Kid stayed in until Els' 43-foot putt knocked him out
17th hole hurts both leaders
By Grady Timmons
Special to the Star-BulletinEls is obviously off to the best start of his professional career. Coupled with his record in 2002, in which he won the British Open and five other events around the world, he has now won eight times in a little more than a year.
At 33, Els is entering his prime as a golfer and finally seems to be fulfilling his enormous talent. But the question still remains: Has he elevated his game to the point where he can now challenge Tiger Woods as the preeminent player in all of golf?
"Obviously, my recent wins have helped my confidence," the No. 2 player in the world said. "It has reinforced that I'm working on the right stuff, both mentally and physically, and obviously my equipment has really fallen into place. I think I can look forward to a good year now and to challenging anyone who comes around."
For years, observers of the game have felt that Els, more than any other modern player, has the talent to compete with Woods. Yet, season after season, he has consistently fallen short, leading many to question his desire and heart.
The "Big Easy," as he is known, has always seemed lacking in the competitive fire that it takes to be No. 1. In 2001, he failed to win a single event on the PGA Tour, and in 2000 he had five runner-up finishes in five of the tour's biggest events -- the Mercedes, Masters, Memorial, U.S. Open and British Open. Three of those tournaments were majors and four of the losses were to Woods. Coming down the stretch, Els just couldn't seem to get it done.
That has not been the case recently.
Els attributes much of his newfound prowess to a new driver and ball, which has given a great deal more distance off the tee. Els himself says the new equipment has added 10 to 15 more yards to his drives. But the official statistics tell a different story. Last year, Els averaged 281.4 yards per drive off the tee, which ranked 84th on tour. For the first two weeks of the 2003 season, he is averaging 319.6 yards and is ranked No. 1.
Yesterday, Els demonstrated his prodigious new length on the ninth and 10th holes, powering a 360-yard drive at the par-5 ninth that left him with only a 9-iron approach shot to the green. He followed that up by driving the 356-yard par-4 10th, where he two-putted for his second consecutive birdie.
Said Els, "I needed a little more length to challenge the big guys, and I think I'm basically there now. That's probably why I won by so many shots last week on Maui. I think I've always had good feel around the greens and I've always been able to shape the ball. But I think the extra length that I have now, that's definitely something I've needed."
Will Els' newfound power give Woods, who is still recovering from knee surgery, something to think about? "Yeah, I'm sure it will," Els said. "Then again, maybe it won't. Who knows ... he's obviously going to come back strong. He always does. He's a complete golfer and a great champion. I'm sure he's chomping at the bit to get back out here."
And Els, it seems, is as ready as he'll ever be to greet him.
Sony Open
