Ernie Els was in upbeat mood after finishing third at the United States PGA Championship on Sunday, sensing he is close to giving world number one Tiger Woods a run for his money.
The 37-year-old South African, six strokes behind leader Woods at the start of the final round, signed off with a four-under-par 66 in steamy conditions at Southern Hills Country Club.
”I’m still not quite where I want to be but I’m getting there,” Els told reporters after posting his fourth top-five finish in the PGA Championship with a five-under total of 275.
”If I get up to that next level where I want to be, maybe I can at least give him [Woods] a real go, a run for his money. Somebody needs to step up; he’s playing some awesome golf.”
Twice US Open champion Els made a fast start with four birdies in the first 10 holes to briefly close within a shot of the pace-setting Woods.
Although he covered the back nine in one-under 34, he felt missed putts on nine and 11, plus an errant drive at the par-four 16th, cost him an outside chance of victory.
”If I could have those three back, it would have been a perfect round of golf,” the three-times major winner said after Woods clinched the title by two shots. ”But I played really nice and at least I had half a go at it.
”The way I played today in the final round and the way I played at the Open, that’s the way I want to play in major championships,” Els added, referring to his tie for fourth in last month’s British Open at Carnoustie.
”I’ve had a chance at the Open, a really good chance, which I didn’t quite take. To come from six back against the world number one here was always going to be tough to do, but I gave it a good shot.
”Every day I’ve made a bunch of birdies and I haven’t done that in any majors that I’ve played recently.”
Els, who was sidelined for four months at the end of 2005 after twisting his knee on a family sailing holiday, has not won a major title since the 2002 British Open at Muirfield. – Reuters