GULLANE, Scotland — All his life, Ernie Els had thought about emulating his idol, fellow South African Gary Player, by winning the British Open. But as Els walked dejectedly off the 16th green yesterday at Muirfield, the only thought on his mind was what others would say about him if he lost.
Els seemed unlikely to feel anything but bitter disappointment at the end of his round after having made a devastating double bogey at No. 16, one of the course's shortest holes.
But Els rid his mind of negativity. He followed with a critical birdie at the 17th to get into a four-man, aggregate-score playoff. He shot four pars in the first four-man playoff in British Open history. Then, with only he and France's Thomas Levet surviving, he sank a four-foot par putt on the first hole of sudden death to win the 131st Open.
Once the tension-packed final putt disappeared into the cup, the 32-year-old South African raised his arms to the crowd surrounding the 18th green, the relief in his face overpowering the joy. Levet then lifted him off the ground in congratulations.
Even with Tiger Woods out of contention, this third major title for Els was an extremely difficult one to win.
"Some people have lost here before and never recovered," said Els, who is ranked No. 3 in the world. "I wouldn't say I would have been one of them if I didn't win, but maybe I would have been a different person after this. But now, in a better and good way, I'm a different person."
Els, the winner of the U.S. Open in 1994 and 1997, should have been enjoying himself as he walked around the back nine at Muirfield on a sunny, warm day - a 180-degree turnaround from Saturday's miserable rain and wind. He was holding a 3-stroke lead with six holes to play.
Then things started to fall apart. Els drove into a fairway bunker and bogeyed the 14th hole. At the 16th, he hooked a 7-iron into a tricky lie to the left of the green, misplayed a chip, hitting it over the other side, chipped again, and two-putted for a double-bogey 5. That turned a 1-stroke lead into a 1-stroke deficit.
"A lot of things went through my mind," Els said. " 'Is this a way to lose another major? Is this the way you want to be remembered - by screwing up an Open championship?'
"I'm pretty hard on myself as it is, and that wasn't one of my finer moments, obviously."
