Els finally escapes the shadow of Tiger

For a man blessed with such a vast array of sporting talents, Ernie Els must curse his ill-fortune to be born in the Tiger Woods era.

The laid-back, easy-swinging South African would surely have been the predominant golfer in the world over the last five years had not a certain American gripped the sport tighter than any man in the modern era.

It has denied the 32-year-old from Johannesburg at least two major titles when he finished second to Woods -- the 2000 British and U.S. Opens -- and countless other occasions when the world number one seemed an immovable barrier to his ambitions.

Already this year, Woods has claimed the U.S. Masters and U.S. Open crowns while Els laboured among the also-rans and Tiger arrived at Muirfield for the British Open as a short-priced favourite to claim the third leg of a unique grand slam.

But when the battle reached its peak on Sunday afternoon it was Woods's turn to join the bystanders while Els at last claimed his place in the limelight.

On the way, he conquered the twin demons of atrocious weather -- which put paid to Woods's challenge with a disastrous round of 81 on Saturday -- and his own nerves to clinch the title he prizes above all others.

True, there was more than one hiccup on the way to his nervy playoff win over unheralded Frenchman Thomas Levet but when the occasion called for a shot of genius Els found it with a feather-light sandshot to four feet for the title.

GREATEST PRIZE

It was ironic that such a big man who hits the ball further than all but a handful in the world should win his greatest prize with such a deft touch.

But then Els has always had every shot a great champion needs. He was a talented player of all sports as a youngster and was showing considerable promise at tennis and swimming before finally settling on golf.

His ability was soon in shining evidence as he won the Junior world championship by beating Phil Mickelson in a playoff.

By 1992, when the British Open was last held at Muirfield, he was already emerging under coach David Leadbetter's tutelage as a champion in the making and tied fifth that year was a remarkable debut in the big time for a man of only 22.

Two years later, Els now nicknamed the "Big Easy" because of a swing which could have been crafted by Rolls Royce, was indisputably the finished article.

SECOND MAJOR

He won the U.S. Open in 1994, beating Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie in an 18-hole playoff and three years later was to claim his second major in the same tournament to become the first foreigner in 87 years to win it twice.

Els was surely on his way to a hatful of golf's most glittering prizes but despite a clutch of more minor titles, no further majors fell to him by the time he arrived at Muirfield this week while Woods had bagged no less than eight.

There was no obvious reason to the ordinary golf fan for Els's relative failure -- save Wood's brilliance. Some suggested he had lost his focus after marrying his wife Liezl in 1998 and the arrival of a daughter, Samantha, the following year.

But Els had never been a particularly hard practiser in the Woods/Vijay Singh mould and his natural talent had always more than got him by in the past.

The truth, as Els hinted on Sunday night after his victory, was that he had lost the belief he belonged on the same fairway as Woods, and could actually beat him, if only on rare occasions.

After losing to Woods by eight shots in the British Open at St Andrews two years ago despite playing some of his best ever golf in a major, Els wondered out loud what he would have to do to beat the prodigy.

On Sunday, he found the answer.

Now the golf world awaits the sport's two superpowers slugging it out, man-to-man, down the final 18 holes of another major when both are on the top of their games.

After his Muirfield triumph, Els should have found the confidence -- at last -- for that ultimate challenge.