Bunkerman Els irons out the rough

With the warm glow of the setting sun in the background, Muirfield crowned Ernie Els as the 2002 Open champion. The members all came out to ...

With the warm glow of the setting sun in the background, Muirfield crowned Ernie Els as the 2002 Open champion. The members all came out to watch and the galleries clapped endlessly as Ernie Els and Thomas Levet walked upto the 18th green, Levet putting his hands on his ears and urging the galleries to cheer on, while an exhausted Ernie tried to battle off bad thoughts and claim the title. Finally, it was Ernie8217;s moment, to hole his putt and lift the claret jug for the first time, a championship that he has twice come close to winning, but finished second each time.

In command of the sole lead at seven-under-par for the tournament, till the par-four 16th South African Ernie Els, winner of the US Open in 1994 and 1997, looked well in command. However, he faltered at the 16th where he hit his second shot over, following which his chip finished over the length of the green. He then hit his fourth to about ten feet and two-putted for a double. A birdie on the par-five 17th gave him a share of the lead, but a two-putt for par on the last and the Big Easy was instrumental in taking the Open into a four-man playoff at six-under-par.

Frenchman Thomas Levet, whom we met on Sunday after he finished a disappointing 63rd alongside Arjun Atwal at the Loch Lomond, carded a 66 today after a forty-foot eagle putt on the 71st hole of the tournament, Steve Elkington and Stuart Appleby.

Elkington, who qualified after bagging one of the six spots available at the Dunbar Golf Course, was the only player who had an opportunity to win the tournament after he missed a seven-footer on the last to card a 66 for the day, while Appleby made it to the top of the leaderboard with his round of 65.

A four hole stroke play playoff 8211; the first, 16th, 17th and 18th 8211; with players in two groups, Steve Elkington and Thomas Levet in the first and Ernie Els and Stuart Appleby following close behind.

Levet made a comfortable par on the first while Elkington hit it into the greenside bunker and from where he missed an up to card a five. In the group behind, Appleby narrowly missed a birdie as did Ernie, but the course was soon drowned in cheers as Thomas Levet holed over a 50-footer on the par-three 16th for birdie.

While Levet and Elkington teed off on the 17th, Appleby and Els aimed for the 16th green. Just rolling off the right edge, Appleby chipped it just on and two-putted to drop a shot, while playing partner Els two-putted for his second consecutive par.

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On the 17th, which Thomas had eagled a few hours earlier, he hit his second into the right side bunker guarding the front of the green and chipped it out left, over 50-feet from the pin for birdie. Steve duffed his approach chip, his third and holed a 20-footer for birdie, taking his total to level-par. Els hit his driver way left, into the rough on the 17th, placed it out onto the fairway and then left his chip short, just making it to the green. Two-putts for both the players saw then card par fives and remain tied at level-par.