“It would have been a lot of fun going over the Royal Troon as a double champion.”The 17th, a brute of a par four at 480 yards played to a green protruding into the water, also saw Montgomerie’s downfall. While Els played the hole in level par for the week, the Scot bogeyed it on all four occasions, and twice on Sunday. With Els safely on the green, Montgomerie pushed his approach just into the thick rough. His chip was a good one, but he had to wait for a noisy crowd to settle before facing his six-foot putt, which went agonisingly close to falling in. “I have proved once again to myself, if I needed any proof, that I love this US Open,” he said.Montgomerie has now finished third and second twice in the US Open and lost a play-off in the USPGA “It’s getting me down this major business,” he said bluntly.

The pair were playing together, just in front of Tom Lehman and Jeff Maggert, who hung around longer than some gave him credit for beforehand. It was a terrific four-way scrap, with Lehman, now third- second-third in the last three US Opens, falling one back by bogeying the 16th, and then finding the water with his approach to 17. He’s a wonderful chap, so laid back it’s frightening.”Montgomerie matched Els’s final round of 69 and shared the lead for much of the back nine. I have played a lot of golf with him over the last five years and I have only admiration for him. “If I was ever going to lose this tournament again, I’ll lose it to him,” Montgomerie said “I would like to congratulate Ernie. He lost to Els in a play-off at Oakmont in 1994 and in the final of the World Match Play the same year. On Sunday, Els, with a total of 276, four under par, beat the Scot by a single stroke.In tears immediately afterwards, Montgomerie composed himself to pay tribute to his nemesis.

Ernie Els was proclaimed as the “next god of golf” when he won the US Open at the age of 24 three years ago, and if he did not start winning every major under the sun, then who can? Woods, who finished tied for 19th at Congressional and despite all the hoopla at Augusta, won’t either, but the pair can look forward to some mighty battles over the next decade and more.
Colin Montgomerie has already duelled with the South African and, apart from sneaking the Million Dollar Challenge at Sun City from under his nose last December, has usually come off second best. Tiger Woods, at 21 years and 24 weeks, yesterday officially became the youngest player ever to be ranked as the No.1 in the world, only a few hours after the US Open proved the Masters champion does not have to be involved for a championship to unfold with the requisite drama and tension. Substitutes used: Lang, Strauss, Sammut, Bell.Referee: D Campbell (Widnes).. Substitutes used: Pickavance, Booth, Busby, Anderson.Cronulla: Peachey; Barnett, Ettingshausen, Richardson, Rogers, Healey, Green, Lee, Treister, Stevens, Forrester, Graham, Nikau. Andrew Ettingshausen’s chip then let in Mat Rogers, and Nikau touched down again soon after.The second half brought little relief, Paul Green’s lofted pass sending in Richard Barnett, but Alan Hunte at least crossed for the Saints, running on to a pass from Apollo Perelini.