The huge television screen behind the 18th hole at Waialae Country
Club showed Ernie Els waiting for his amateur partners to hit up
to the green this afternoon. As always, his face was awash with
a giant, gentle smile.
They call him the "Big Easy'' for a reason, but there is another
side to Els that people don't often see. He can be a little hard
on himself.
Halfway through what was supposed to be a head start on Tiger
Woods, Els has given himself two excellent chances to win and had
to settle for something less.
He was poised to advance to the final of the $5 million Accenture
Match Play Championship until he hit a bad stretch of holes against
Pierre Fulke, was 1-over par through 17 holes, and lost.
Last week in Maui, Els was on the verge of running away from the
winners-only field at the Mercedes Championships when he overshot
the short 12th hole and let it get to him. A four-stroke lead turned
into a two-stroke deficit, and he never made up the lost ground.
He has $503,000 to show for fourth- and third-place finishes,
and he is reminded that it could have been much better.
"There's a bit of disappointment, obviously,'' Els said. "I know
I could have gone further in the Match Play. And last week was definitely
a little disappointing. I felt like I was playing well enough to
away from the guys and I got in my own way.
"I'm playing good enough to win.''
He gets another chance Thursday in the Sony Open, the PGA Tour's
first full-field event without another tournament being played.
The tournament's purse is $4 million, worth $720,000 for the winner.
That's the kind of money that in the past was only paid out in The
Players Championship and Tour Championship. Now, the Sony is one
of nearly 20 events this year worth that much.
A victory by Els at Sony or next week in Phoenix (also a $4 million)
purse would give him the beginning he needs to get a head start
on Tiger Woods.
"I'm not looking at it in a way of standing of the first tee and
sending a message to the world,'' Els said. "I want to win for myself
this week. I want to work on the mistakes I made the last two weeks.
If I can counter those mistakes, I can have a good week.''
Just don't get the idea it didn't matter, that the Big Easy is
only out to have a good time.
"I go at it pretty hard,'' Els said. "There's a lot of 'try' out
there and people miss that.''
Jim Furyk played the final round with Els last week in Mercedes.
They were tied going into Sunday, and Furyk pulled away with a great
par save on the 16th and a 10-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole
to beat Rory Sabbatini.
Furyk compared Els to Fred Couples, whose swing is so fluid and
power so natural that it looks as though he's not trying.
"Ernie is like that -- a real big, strong guy, great rhythm,''
Furyk said. "He wants to sit down and have a beer at dinner with
friends and be relaxed. He's not a real uptight guy. But on the
golf course, he's out there pounding away.''
Ernie
Els with the International trophy he won last year, his only
win in the US in 2000. Allsport.
Waialae hardly seems like a place to do any serious grinding. It
is situated on the beach north of Waikiki, with tall, skinny palms
waving in the Pacific breeze.
But there is money to be made, and another chance to build a lead
on the money list with Woods taking the week off and probably next
week, too.
While Els is trying to cash in on his early season push, Davis
Love III is making his 2001 debut and will try to end a victory
drought that stretches back to the 1998 MCI Classic.
Others in the field include former U.S. Amateur champion Matt
Kuchar and Garrett Willis, the PGA Tour rookie to won the Tucson
Open last week in his debut.
The defending champion is Paul Azinger, who a year ago completed
a wire-to-wire victory at Waialae to win for the first time since
he was diagnoses with lymphoma in his left shoulder in 1993.
Returning brings back good memories, a week when Azinger putted
well and promised himself to be prepared every time he played.
"I would love to win another major,'' Azinger said. "But I would
love to just win another tournament. My commitment is to winning.
My goal is simplified to base form this year -- be prepared. Other
things will take care of themselves.''
