Victor Els punches the air (Allsport).
1994 - MONTY DREAM ENDS IN DISASTER
By Mark Garrod, Press Association Golf Reporter
Colin Montgomerie's US Open dream turned into a nightmare at Oakmont today as
he crashed to a seven-over par 78 in his 18-hole play-off with South African
Ernie Els and American Loren Roberts. The title which no European has won since Tony Jacklin in 1970 went instead to
Els at the second hole of sudden death after he and the little-known
Californian had tied on 74 following a round which began farcically and ended
dramatically. The 24-year-old from Johanessburg became the youngest winner of a major
championship since Seve Ballesteros won the Open at Lytham in 1979 when he was
just 22. He is also only the fourth non-American winner in the last 67 years, following
his compatriot Gary Player, Tony Jacklin and Australian David Graham. Els' winning cheque was £216,216, but Montgomerie's manager John Simpson puts
the reward for victory at millions in terms of contracts and Montgomerie - third two years ago in the event - will need no reminding of that. He was effectively out of things after going to the turn in an error-strewn 42
and had to settle for ``only'' £95,829. Roberts, chasing only the second tournament win of his career at the age of
38, was one ahead with three to play, but three-putted the 16th. He then made putts of 15 and ten feet on the last two green to force extra
holes - Els holed from seven and five - but after sinking a six-footer to stay
alive on the 19th Roberts was bunkered on the next (the 378-yard 11th) and Els'
par four was good enough. ``It'a dream come true,'' said Els, who has finished in the top eight in five
of his last six majors without winning one. ``I started off badly today and
just had to hang in there. In the end it all came right.'' Montgomerie, who had been let into the play-off by both Els and Roberts
bogeying the final hole yesterday, said: ``I'm obviously very disappointed,
especially knowing what would have been good enough to win today. ``The pins were very difficult and the greens a lot slower than yesterday. I
was just not getting the pace until it was too late. "I played the last seven
holes in one-under. But I never felt I was going to win. ``This is by far the most difficult course I've ever played, but I came here
saying this was my best chance to win a major and I gave it my best. "It's all
part of the learning process - I'm always learning. I'm not despondent and I'm
looking forward to the Open at Turnberry next month.'' Els' opening bogey, where he drove wildly into rough and then chipped into a
bunker, was bad enough, but it was nothing to what followed at the next.
Roberts bogeyed it - and was the best. Montgomerie hit two poor chips for a double bogey six, while Els flew over the
green into a bush and took seven. The comedy of errors continued for Montgomerie at the next. He missed the
fairway, could not make the green, then chipped weakly again and walked off
with another six. Els repaired some of his damage with a 30-foot birdie putt and so after three
holes he was three over, Roberts one over and Montgomerie four over. The embarrassment was Roberts's at the 378-yard next. He badly missed the
green, needed two chips to get on and took six. But at the short sixth he hit
his tee shot to within a yard of the flag for a two, whereas Montgomerie, only
six feet away, sent his effort 10 feet past on the glassy surface and missed
the return. The South African made a 12-foot birdie putt on the 431-yard seventh to go
level at two over. All three bogeyed the 249-yard eighth, but when Montgomerie
three-putted from the edge of the ninth green for a par five it was costly. Roberts and Els both two-putted for birdies which lifted them to two over,
four clear of of the Scot, who had covered the outward half in an appalling 42
shots - nine worse than yesterday. Montgomerie trimmed his deficit to two on the 458-yard tenth - he parred and
the other two bogeyed - but then had his third double bogey. He went from right
rough to left rough, just over the green, left a woeful putt seven feet short
and missed. At eight over par he was now five behind and, barring a miracle, the contest
was now between Els and Roberts. Els found rough and a bunker at the 598-yard 12th, took six and looked like
dropping another when he went into more sand on the short 13th and splashed out
only to 15 feet. But he made the putt and Roberts, also bunkered, had to convert an
eight-footer to stay in front. Montgomerie actually made a two there from ten feet, but it was his turn to go
into sand at the next and, although he too saved par, he remained four adrift
and over the closing stretch was effectively a spectator. Final collated totals (US unless stated)
279 E Els (SA) 69 71 66 73, C Montgomerie (GB) 71 65 73 70, L Roberts 76 69
74 70 280 C Strange 70 70 70 70
282 J Cook 73 65 73 71 283 T Watson 68 73 68 74, G Norman (Aus) 71 71 69 72, C Dennis 71 71 70 71 284 F Nobilo (NZ) 69 71 68 76, D Waldorf 74 68 73 69, J Maggert 71 68 75
70, J Sluman 72 69 72 71
285 J McGovern 73 69 74 69, S Hoch 72 72 70 71, D Edwards 73 65 75 72 286 F Couples 72 71 69 74, S Lowery 71 71 68 76 287 H Irwin 69 69 71 78, S Ballesteros (Spa) 72 72 70 73, S Verplank 70 72
75 70 288 S Pate 74 66 71 77, S Torrance (GB) 72 71 76 69 289 B Langer (Ger) 72 72 73 72, K Triplett 70 71 71 77 290 M Springer 74 72 73 71, C Parry (Aus) 78 68 71 73, C Beck 73 73 70 74 292 M Ozaki (Jap) 70 73 69 80, J Furyk 74 69 74 75, L Clements 73 71 73 75,
D Love 74 72 74 72, J Nicklaus 69 70 77 76 293 T Kite 73 71 72 77, B Crenshaw 71 74 70 78, T Lehman 77 68 73 75, F
Allem (SA) 73 70 74 76, M Carnevale 75 72 76 70, B Faxon 73 69 71 80 294 G Brand Jnr (GB) 73 71 73 77, P Baker (GB) 73 73 73 75, B Hughes (Aus)
71 72 77 74, B Jobe 72 74 68 80 295 F Quinn 75 72 73 75 296 D Walsworth 71 75 73 77, F Funk 74 71 74 77, P Goydos 74 72 79 71 297 P Mickelson 75 70 73 79, J Gallagher 74 68 77 78, W Levi 76 70 73 78, M
Emery 74 73 75 75, D Berganio 73 72 76 76, B Lane (GB) 77 70 76 74, T
Dunlavey 76 70 78 73, O Browne 74 73 77 73 298 S Simpson 73 74 73 78, H Royer 72 71 77 78, T Armour III 73 73 79 73 299 F Zoeller 76 70 76 77, S Richardson (GB) 74 73 76 76 301 D Martin 76 70 74 81, D Rummells 71 74 82 74 302 E Aubrey 72 69 81 80, E Humenik 74 72 81 75, M Smith 74 73 78 77
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