Ernie Vs. Tiger Tale of the tape as the game's top heavyweights prepare to get it on
Apologies to the Nissan Open and Mike Weir. We tried, we really
tried, but despite the glorious weather, the classic venue and
the diabolical course setup, we couldn't overcome the feeling
that last week's Tour stop was simply an undercard bout. What
we've been waiting for is the Match Made in Heaven: Tiger Woods,
the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, versus Ernie
Els, the No. 1--ranked contender and hottest player on the
planet.
Granted, arriving at such a battle of the titans is a longshot at
this week's Accenture World Match Play Championship in Carlsbad,
Calif., where Woods and Els will be playing in the same
tournament for the first time this year. But imagine what a Super
Sunday it will be if they can work their way through their
respective sides of the bracket--they'll have to win five matches
each--to meet in the 36-hole final at La Costa Resort & Spa.
The Match Play should be renamed Upsets 'R' Us. In case you've
forgotten, finals have included Jeff Maggert versus Andrew Magee,
Steve Stricker versus Pierre Fulke, and Kevin Sutherland versus
Scott McCarron. Miami versus Ohio State the Match Play ain't. And
remember, in last year's first round, Woods failed to get past
Peter O'Malley.
Just as Muhammad Ali needed Joe Frazier, Woods needs someone like
Els. The Big Easy has won four of his five starts this season (he
was second in the tournament he didn't win), and he has gone low.
Els's score of 31 under par at January's Mercedes Championships
is a PGA Tour record, and his 29 under at the recent Johnnie
Walker Classic, in Australia, counts as the record on the
European, Asian and Australasian tours. As his 10-shot win at the
Johnnie Walker attests, Els hasn't simply beaten other players,
he has destroyed them.
Woods came out smoking in 2003, KO'ing wannabe rival Phil
Mickelson on Mickelson's home turf at the Buick Invitational.
Although Woods tied for fifth at the Nissan--an event that is
becoming to him what the U.S. Open was to Sam Snead--nobody
bounces back, or responds to a challenge, better.
Is a Match Made in Heaven on the horizon? We think it could
happen this week, and here's our tale of the tape.
--Gary Van Sickle
COLOR PHOTO: ROSS KINNAIRD/GETTY IMAGES (ELS) ONE-TWO PUNCH Els (opposite) and Woods could meet in this week's Match Play final.
COLOR PHOTO: JOHN MCCOY/LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS/AP (WOODS) [See caption above]
COLOR PHOTO: JACQUELINE DUVOISIN
COLOR PHOTO: CORBIS
COLOR PHOTO: TONY TRIOLO
COLOR PHOTO: MATTHEW HARRIS
COLOR PHOTO: CORBIS
COLOR PHOTO: LENNOX MCLENDON/AP
COLOR PHOTO: JOHN IACONO
COLOR PHOTO: MIKE NELSON/AFP
COLOR PHOTO: JOHN MCDONOUGH
COLOR PHOTO: PETER READ MILLER
ELS EDGE
FIRST TOUR WIN 1994 U.S. Open [EDGE]
TOUR VICTORIES 12
INTERNATIONAL VICTORIES 31 [EDGE]
MAJORS 3
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT IN MAJOR Blew three-shot lead
at 1995 PGA
RECORD FEAT Set alltime scoring
mark on four tours
this year
OVERLOOKED ACCOMPLISHMENT Won South Africa tour's [EDGE]
Open, PGA and Masters
in 1992
CAREER GOAL Win career Grand Slam
HOME COURSE Wentworth [EDGE]
TAX HAVEN Bahamas [EDGE]
OFF-COURSE WEAKNESS Beer [EDGE]
GOLFING HERO Gary Player
GUARDIAN ANGEL Trey Holland [EDGE]
FASHION STATEMENT Black pants
INJURIES Blew out back lifting
stranger's luggage
SHOULDER TO CRY ON Jos Vanstiphout [EDGE]
CURSES In Afrikaans [EDGE]
WEBSITE ernieels.com [EDGE]
(he blogs weekly)
FAVORITE FOOD Steak
SIGNATURE MOVE Sheepish grin
SECOND FIDDLE Retief Goosen, next-best
player from South Africa
SWING COACH David Leadbetter [EDGE]
ON THE OTHER "I didn't miss him." [EDGE]
DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENT Second in three straight
majors in 2000
MISSING TITLE Masters, PGA
WOODS EDGE
FIRST TOUR WIN 1996 Las Vegas
Invitational
TOUR VICTORIES 35 [EDGE]
INTERNATIONAL VICTORIES 7
MAJORS 8 [EDGE]
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT IN MAJOR Shot 81 at 2002 British [EDGE]
Open to end Grand Slam
bid
RECORD FEAT Holds alltime scoring [EDGE]
mark at all four majors
OVERLOOKED ACCOMPLISHMENT Won three straight U.S.
Juniors
CAREER GOAL Win at least 19 majors [EDGE]
HOME COURSE Isleworth
TAX HAVEN Florida
OFF-COURSE WEAKNESS Las Vegas
GOLFING HERO Jack Nicklaus [EDGE]
GUARDIAN ANGEL Phoenix Open fans
FASHION STATEMENT Collarless shirt [EDGE]
INJURIES Two surgeries on left knee [EDGE]
SHOULDER TO CRY ON Mark O'Meara
CURSES At photographers
WEBSITE tigerwoods.com
(he reveals schedule--a
week at a time)
FAVORITE FOOD Phil Mickelson [EDGE]
SIGNATURE MOVE Fist pump [EDGE]
SECOND FIDDLE Ernie Els, runner-up [EDGE]
to Tiger six times
SWING COACH Butch Harmon
ON THE OTHER "He's making every putt
he looks at."
DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENT Took back $5 tip from [EDGE]
Vegas waitress
MISSING TITLE Nissan Open [EDGE]