Ernie Els was shaking from nerves, but South African president Thabo Mbeki, who took up golf a year ago, was so excited about the astonishing tie between the International team and America that he danced a jig with Gary Player at the closing ceremony of the Presidents Cup at Fancourt on Sunday.
”The rain has come after the golf has finished to bless our country,” Mbeki said as a steady drizzle fell over the Fancourt during the closing ceremony. ”But the African sun took its own decision on this tournament, because it said that any outcome other than a tie would have been strongly unfair to both teams.”
Mbeki enthused about the 17-17 tie that was stopped for bad light by captains Player and Jack Nicklaus after Tiger Woods and Ernie Els were deadlocked all-square after three rounds of sudden death playoff.
”The sun made the correct decision,” said Mbeki.
Mbeki paid tribute to Nicklaus and his American team for their sportsmanship. ”I want to thank them for the way they have played the game here,” he said. ”The rules state that the defending champions hold the cup in the event of a draw, but their’s was an act of pure sportsmanship when they decided to share the Cup with us.”
Nicklaus, heralded as the greatest golfer in history, said he had never experienced anything like the competition, the drama and the cliff-hanger finish of the Presidents Cup.
”What a tournament,” declared Nicklaus. ”I have never seen anything like it. When Gary and I decided to step in when it became too dark, it was correct. We both agree that sharing the Cup was the right thing to do.”
Els said afterwards that his legs shivered for the first time in his golfing career when he arrived at the 18th tee to start the sudden death playoff.
”Tiger gave me a big smack,” said Els of going down four and three to Woods during singles action on Sunday. ”But the playoff was something else. I have never before experienced such tension”. My knees were shaking and that has never happened to me before on a golf course,” he said.
Woods said that he had to consciously turn his mind off the colour red when he was on the greens during the playoffs. ”I had to take my mind off my team-mates,” he said. ”I couldn’t even look at them in case it affected my focus. It was scary out there.”
Els said that the tournament could not have finished on a better note. ”It worked out superbly,” he said. ”Nobody wants a team competition to end on an individual note.” – Sapa