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Second fiddle For third straight time, Els finishes runner-up in major
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (CNNSI.com) -- There are lifelong bridesmaids, then there is Ernie Els. And while you won't find Els dressed in a garish gown, it's a good bet you'll find him behind Tiger Woods. Especially if it's a major tournament we're talking about. See, including this past weekend at St. Andrews, Els has now finished runner up to Woods on six occasions, twice in majors. "I'm playing a different tournament," the South African said at St. Andrews on Sunday after his final-round 69 gave him a share of second place with Denmark's Thomas Bjorn but eight shots behind Woods. "I play the regular tour event and Tiger plays his own." Runner up to Vijay Singh in this year's Masters and to Woods in the U.S. Open, Els is the first player to finish runner up in three consecutive majors. He owes this particular second-place finish to a dramatic collapse by David Duval, who needed four shots to get out of the Road Hole bunker two holes from home and wound up with a 75 for a share of 11th place. But the South African is getting used to seeing Woods continually one place higher on golf's podium. "In one way, it is incredible to watch a guy play so much better than the rest of the world," he said. "And it is tough to sit down and talk about him every time. I might have to get used to it, but I guess that's the way it goes." Els, twice a winner of the U.S. Open, went into the tournament rated the player most likely to beat Woods after his two second-place finishes at the Masters and U.S. Open and winning the Loch Lomond tournament the week before the Open. But the fact that he lost at the U.S. Open by 15 strokes illustrates the gulf between the two. It was the same story at St. Andrews. "I guess I could play as good as I can this week, but I wasn't going to win," Els said. "If I really played as good as I could, I don't think I would have got to 20 under like Tiger. So second is nice." Woods, 20 under with two to play, finished 19 under after dropping a stroke at the 17th. But he still wound up with as record Open-victory score when related to par. The others were just playing for second place and at least Els can say he beat the rest. "[Second place] is great on the record again," Els said. "But to be so far behind the winner is tough to take. But what can you do? I have to play really well and he has to have a mediocre week like I had this week." Three of Els' second place finishes behind Woods have happened this season. The first was at the Mercedes Championship in Hawaii in early January and then came Woods' runaway victory at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach last month where he finished 3 over and Woods 12 under. "There is [a chance to bridge the gap] if I make those putts," the South African said. "I've got to make a lot more putts. "Every time I see the highlights in the evening I see the putts Tiger is making. I am not making those putts. That's probably where he is beating me at the moment."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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