Ernie Els’s record in the British Open is of the highest order, but the suspicion remains that it could and should have been even better. The big South African will be playing in his 17th Open Championship at Carnoustie this week with his one win to date coming in the 2002 edition at Muirfield, where he won a four-man play-off.
Aaron Baddeley grabbed a two-stroke lead in the third round of the United States Open on Saturday, but must defy Tiger Woods if he wants to record a second straight win for an Australian. The two will comprise the final pairing on Sunday when the world number one goes for his third US Open win.
Steady as you go — that was the word from Tiger Woods as he stalked the leaders at the halfway stage of the United States Open. The world number one has not been firing on all cylinders at the treacherous Oakmont layout, but he has been workmanlike. Going into the weekend, he is five strokes behind leader Angel Cabrera.
Ernie Els has been using the Golf Channel archives for some mental therapy as he battles to get back on top of his game in time for the US Open in Oakmont on Thursday. The big South African’s career took off when he won in a play-off in Oakmont in 1994 when he was just 24 years old in what was just his second US Open.
Justine Henin joined the Roland Garros greats by defeating Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-2 on Saturday to complete a hat-trick of French Open titles. In what was an embarrassingly one-sided 65-minute final, the 25-year-old Belgian became just the second woman in the post-1968 Open era to win three in a row after Monica Seles in 1990/92.
Title-holder and top seed Justine Henin set up a French Open final against Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic by defeating another Serb, Jelena Jankovic, 6-2, 6-2 in Thursday’s semifinals. Ivanovic had earlier reached her first Grand Slam final at the age of 19 by outplaying Russian second seed Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-1.
French hopes of a first men’s singles title at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah nearly a quarter of a century ago lay in tatters on Wednesday after the defeat of their top players in two rounds. Veterans Sebastien Grosjean (28), Arnaud Clement (29) and Fabrice Santoro (34) all failed to make it past the first round.
Justine Henin could have been forgiven for giving this year’s French Open a miss following the dramas that shattered her private life. Instead, the world number one says she is more determined than ever to succeed at her favourite tournament and become the first woman since Monica Seles to win the title three times in a row.
Unheralded Portugal have completed the 20-strong line-up for the Rugby World Cup and are hoping that their dream of taking on the mighty All Blacks does not turn into a nightmare. ”Los Lobos” edged out favourites Uruguay in the final play-off tie in Montevideo to take their place in Pool C alongside the Kiwis, Scotland, Italy and Portugal.
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/ 4 February 2007
Ernie Els pledged to move heaven and earth on Sunday to repel any challenge from old nemesis Tiger Woods in the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic. The South African will take a three stroke lead over the American into the last 18 holes. ”I’m up for it. I’m really looking forward to it and I’d like to win it pretty badly,” said Els.