Around the British Open 2002

For the winner ELS, anything but easy
The rules of the BO's play-off
The Frenchman Levet is no Van de Velde
Monty's verbal attack on media

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n the first four-man playoff in British Open history, and the first one that required more than four holes of stroke play, Els outlasted Thomas Levet of France with a signature bunker shot to save par on the first sudden-death hole.
After four years of marveling at Woods' skills and questioning his own, Els showed he has the mettle to do just that. But at Muirfield, he didn't beat Tiger Woods. Tiger's struggle against rain and wind on Saturday put him far back from the leaders.
But the Big Easy made it hard on himself Sunday by squandering a three-stroke lead on the back nine, taking a double bogey when the trophy was in his grasp, making the kind of history he could have done without: a five-hole play-off.
Els made all pars in the four holes of overtime to force sudden death with Levet. Then came the most amazing par of all. Levet's drive went to a bunker. Els' second shot went to a green bunker with a very difficult lie. Levet's second shot was on the green but to far from the hole for an easy par putt. With his right foot anchored on the top of a bunker left of the 18th green, Els dug in and blasted this ball out to 5 feet from the hole. Levet bogeyed, Els pared.
``That bunker shot was a piece of nerves. He's very, very talented. I lost to a great player,'' said Levet lifting Els in his arms under the public applause.
``I didn't come here with a lot of confidence,'' Els said. ``I'm back on track, I can now legitimately try to win the majors.This was one of the hardest tournaments I've ever played,'' Els said. ``The emotions I went through today -- I don't think I've ever been through that.''
It was the third major championship for the 32-year-old Els, his first since the U.S. Open at Congressional five years ago. None of three was easy, but this one tops the list.

Thomas Levet, this Frenchman is no Jean Van de Velde

" Thomas Levet lost a British Open he had a great chance of winning. But any comparisons with Van de Velde end with the fact they're both French and they both came awfully close to having their names engraved on a precious claret jug" wrote Tim Dahlberg AP Sports Writer after the British Open 2002 won by Ernie Els.
Three years ago, Van de Velde blew his Open chance with a spectacular collapse on the 18th hole at nearby Carnoustie and hasn't contended since.
The way Levet played Sunday, he may have many more chances. He was that good, and then he was just as gracious, hoisting a much bigger Ernie Els aloft after the final putt on the 18th hole to win the Open in sudden death. ``It's life, and Ernie deserves it,'' Levet said. ``He's a great champion and he played well.''
So did Levet, who began the day four shots off the lead and buried in a deep group of challengers who were lurking around with the hope that maybe Els would come back to the field.
Levet didn't figure to make it to a four-hole playoff but he did after an eagle on the 17th hole gave him a final-round 66. Neither he didn't figure to survive for the extra-hole showdown with Els, but he did that, too, thanks to a couple of clutch putts.
By the time he and Els teed it up one last time on the 18th hole, Levet was on the run of his golfing life. He was also having the time of his life. As he walked toward the final green, Levet urged the fans packed into bleachers to cheer. He cupped his ear, as if he couldn't hear them. They responded, and he smiled. The small Frenchman was winning the crowd over.
But his bag of tricks had run out. Levet couldn't make par from the rough, and when Els managed a brilliant up and down from a greenside bunker, it was suddenly over.
``He's a big man, very talented. That bunker shot at the last was a piece of nerves,'' Levet said. ``It could have gone anywhere.''
Levet might have won the tournament without even needing sudden death had his
ball been a few more inches either way on the final two holes of the four-hole playoff.
``I was just not very lucky on 17 and 18. On 17, I was a yard left and I would have been on the green with two putts for a four,'' Levet said. ``On 18, I had an unplayable bunker shot. I'm 2 inches from carrying the bunker and getting on the green.''
That was very different from Van de Velde, whose meltdown in the 1999 British Open will always be part of golfing lore. Van de Velde was three strokes ahead going to the final hole and made a triple-bogey 7, then lost to Paul Lauwrie in a playoff. Until Sunday, that was the defining moment for French golf on a world stage.
Levet, too, came up short, but he showed some grit that could keep him coming back for years to come.
``I'm very happy with what I did today,'' Levet said. ``It was a great day.''
Besides, he said, second isn't that bad anyway.
``Wouldn't you take second place at the Open every year?'' Levet asked. ``I know I would.''

Monty's verbal attack at British Open

Colin Montgomerie's is known for having a Scottish skittish temperament. After his closing 75 at the last round of the British Open which gave him a four-round total of 297 (74-64-84-75) - his worst in British Opens, he launched a verbal attack on the media. In Sunday papers he was accused for not answering their questions concerning the difference of 20 strokes between Friday and Saturday.
The Mail of London said he was back to ``Mr. Grumpy'' after his 84. ``His miserable finish posed the question of whether the sodden Scot had given up. Sadly, he was not prepared to let us know.''
and The Sunday Mail, in Glasgow, reflected the changes in Monty's moods. ``On Friday, it was the all singing, all dancing Monty we'd all grown to love. Saturday was the snarling, seething Monty that Yanks love to hate.''
Monty replied:``I'm very disappointed with the attitude about my temperament in the press this morning.My temperament has been fine and has been for years. When I finished (on Saturday Tiger Woods was here and you were more interested in him. I would have spoken, but no one was wanting to speak to me. I didn't storm off. I didn't go off in a temper. OK?
And Montgomerie added: ``I'm very hurt by it. I've pulled out of tournaments for the next two weeks. I can't handle it any more.''

Ernie Els congratulating his last challenger in the longest British Open play-off

The French golfer Thomas Levet, very gracious and fair-play

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British Open play-off rules

The four-way playoff of the last British Open was the first in Open history and some people were surprised by the way the four men playoff was played. British Open officials listed three reasons for dividing the final four-way playoff into two groups of two - rather than a foursome. The playoff was over holes 1, 16, 17 and 18.
The reasons:
-- players were playing twosomes all day.
-- this was stroke-play and not match-play.
-- crowd control.

"No one was wanting to speack to me"