This week’s US Open returns to Oakmont Country Club, where in 1994 a then-young gun Ernie Els won his first Major, and thereby avoided a klap from his father!
Ernie, 24 at the time and playing in only his second US Open, started out with a two-under 69 to share the first round limelight with a trio of American greats – Tom Watson (44), who led on 68, and Hale Irwin (49) and Jack Nicklaus (54) who also both shot 69. “I was pleased with the way I played because this is not an easy course and it was scorching hot – about 35 deg C – out there,” said Els.
Nicklaus was chuffed to be in the mix. With a big smile, he said his wife, Barbara, had cast a “spell” on him before the start of play. “She said: ‘I’m putting a spell on you. You’re not 54, you’re 22!” “He proved a most obedient husband,” said his good lady after the round.
Els stayed in contention with a 71 in round two before sensationally touring the outward loop in round three in just 30 strokes, courtesy of four birdies and an eagle, to tie the US Open record for nine holes. “It was just happening for me,” he said of his super-fast start. “I looked up and suddenly I was five under through five holes,” he said after signing for a 66 and 206, which put him in the lead, two clear of New Zealand’s Frank Nobilo.
In an adventurous final round, Els carried a one-shot lead into the last hole, needing a par for victory over Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts, who had finished on 279. But a tiny divot in a sea of smooth green at the demanding par-4 18th, where he pulled a big drive sharply left, stalled his progress. Unable to go for the green with his approach, he was forced to hit his second shot onto the fairway about 90m short of the putting surface. It left him with what looked to be a straightforward pitch-and-putt chance for victory. Cruelly, though, his ball landed in that sandy divot. “That was bad luck on Ernie,” said Nicklaus, sitting in the commentator’s box. “He had a poor lie with little control. It wasn’t very fair.”
A strong victory chance now turned into a desperate bid to make bogey as Els’s wedge stopped up just short of the green. He now faced a tricky 45-footer. “Over a hump and through a valley,” added Nicklaus. “He did well to two-putt and make the playoff. He handled the pressure well.” And Els did. His first putt from just off the green stopped a nerve-racking five feet from the hole. But he bravely holed for the crucial bogey.
A sheepish Els revealed he did not even know he was leading as he teed off at No. 18: “The last time I looked at the scoreboard was on 15,” he admitted. Of his errant drive at 18, he said: “I was trying to smash the living stuff out of it. I wanted to kick my own backside when I saw that five under was leading at 18. I thought I needed a birdie. If I look back, I would have hit a two-iron down 18 and played safe.”
Els would sign for a 73 to join Montgomerie and Roberts in the playoff the next day, in which the level of play was far below US Open standards. Els started triple-bogey, bogey en route to a 74, a score which Roberts matched. Monty limped home in 78 to blow his chances. Els, meanwhile, again made a clutch five-footer at the last to force sudden-death for only the second time in US Open history. The two survivors parred the first extra hole before the young South African sealed victory at the next, which Roberts bogeyed.
“A dream came true for me today,” said Ernie. “I always wanted to win a Major, and it has come pretty early for me. Making those clutch putts when they counted made all the difference. But the main reason I made sure I knocked them in,” he exclaimed with a playful grin, “was to avoid my Dad (Neels) giving me a fat klap for missing them!”
Once victory was in the bag the fax machine hardly stopped working at the Holiday Inn in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. After a celebratory night out with girlfriend (and now wife) Lisel Wertmeter, manager Sam Feldman, and caddie Ricci Roberts, Els said the following morning: “Gary Player faxed me – and so did all the guys in the South African rugby and cricket teams. And I’ve had hundreds of faxes from friends and families and sponsors in South Africa, and fellow golfers in Europe. People have been fantastic, I’m overwhelmed and proud to be South African.” The win was worth $320,000 to him, but Els insisted, “The money isn’t important to me. I’m just the same old Ernie who likes the occasional beer with my mates. The US Open won’t change me much. I’m just an ordinary guy.”
Feldman paid tribute to the way his man handled 150 of the world’s golf writers in the Oakmont press tent. “They fired a lot of questions at him, but he was humble and composed and spoke very well, especially when you consider his home language is Afrikaans. He’s a champion in every respect. He’s South Africa’s newest superstar.”
He certainly did prove to be our next superstar. In just a two-month spell towards the end of 1994, he achieved a unique treble in the game – winning the World Match Play, World Open and Johnnie Walker World Championship right on top of each other.
Then just down the line in February 1995 in the South African Open right here at Randpark he didn’t win because Retief Goosen beat him into second place. The Goose was understandably over the moon: “I’ve just beaten the best golfer in the world!” he exclaimed.
Thanks for the memories Ernie and Retief. Hopefully South Africa has a couple of future Major champions, just like them, somewhere in the bag! There are four players from SA in this week’s line-up – Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Jacques Kruyswijk, Thriston Lawrence and Erik van Rooyen. Here’s hoping …
Written by Randpark member Grant Winter.
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