Tiger Or Els

‘LET’S get the other news out of the way first before we return once again to the ins, outs and shake-it-all-abouts at Leeds United FC.

What’s a South Afrian Ern?

South African Ernie Els won the British Open golf yesterday evening, giving sports editors a welcome rest from their normal Tiger puns and opening up a whole new lexicon.

”Els bells!’ exclaims the Sun. ‘Ernie’s won the Open.’ ‘Heaven and Els,’ proclaims the Mirror, referring to how the popular 32-year-old needed five extra holes to win the title after almost throwing it away in normal time.

The Star’s eyes are on the £700,000 first prize as it opts for ‘nice little Ern-er’, while the Express picks up on Els’ nickname, The Big Easy, with its headline, ‘It’s so Easy the hard way’.

But what is going on at the Mail? Clearly still traumatised by Tiger Woods’ third-round 81 (which ruined his chances of a Grand Slam this year), they can do no more than erase Tiger’s name and replace it with Els.

‘Els roars back to triumph in Open,’ says the back-page headline, clearly intended for the World No.1.

But beyond the punfest, we get to read all the excitement of what the Express describes as ‘the closest finish in the history of golf’s greatest showpiece’.

Els was leading comfortably with only six holes to play but a bogey at 14 was followed by a disastrous double bogey at 16, leaving him a shot behind the trio of Thomas Levet, Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington.

A birdie at the long 17th secured Els’ place in the first four-man play-off in Open history and he eventually triumphed as they came up the 18th hole for the third time that day.

All of which gives the papers plenty to fill the pages that are not devoted to the most boring transfer saga of recent times. Will Rio go to United? How much for? What will happen to Lee Bowyer? Does anyone outside the M62 corridor care anymore?

For the record, the latest news seems to be that Rio has signed for United (although estimates of his price vary wildly from £29.1m in the Sun to £50m in the Express), but Bowyer won’t be going to Liverpool.

The Sun says the United of Manchester will pay the United of Leeds £14.9m upfront to help clear Leeds’ debts, £14.2m in 12 months time and could cough up a further £4m depending on the Red Devils’ future performances.

And it has the fax and Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon’s appalling handwriting to prove it.

So now we move on to the identity of Ferdinand’s replacement at Elland Road and the Mail is already lining up former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam… Yawn! Yawn!

‘

Posted: 22nd, July 2002 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink