V Krishnaswamy: Els closes in on Tiger

SIMPLY GOLF

There is something special about being No 1 in any sport, or for that matter in any field. In sports, more than anywhere else, it creates an aura of invincibility.

There is chess wizard Gary Kasparov, who has been on that perch for more than 10 years as Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik keep trying to take over.

Then there is Michael Schumacher who seems to win every time he sits in a Ferrari. And Roger Federer is threatening to do the same in tennis as Pete Sampras had a few years ago.

When it comes to golf, Tiger Woods had changed the idiom. It seemed the players were fighting for the No 2 slot every time he arrived at the first tee. Tiger simply had to show up to have others quaking in their boots.

From 1999 to the middle of the 2002 season, Tiger remained unchallenged, winning 35 tournaments worldwide which included seven of his eight Major championship titles.

Yet, this week could be eventful as Tiger, chasing Greg Norman's record of 331 weeks as World No 1, could be stopped in his tracks. He could lose his position to World No 2 Ernie Els. The South African needs to win to see Tiger finishes no better than 17th.

A few years ago such a discussion would not have taken place, let alone be written about. But things have changed. Tiger has not won a Major since the 2002 US Open at Bethpage. He has not won a stroke-play tournament in more than nine months. Though he is still No 1, the margin is thinning by the week.

In contrast, the 34-year-old Els is enjoying a great year. He has been in top 10 of his eight starts on the European Tour. He won the Heineken Classic where he flirted with the possibility of a 59 before settling for a 60 at the Royal Melbourne. On the PGA Tour, he won the Sony Open in Hawaii and the Memorial comfortably and his worst finish in six starts has been a tie 16th.

In the first two Majors of the year, he has been contention. He finished second to Phil Mickelson at the Masters and had a chance to win his third US Open title until he was shot down by an 80 in brutal conditions at Shinnecock Hills. He ended ninth, still way ahead of Tiger at 17th.

Late last year, when Vijay Singh made a charge with a series of top 10s, the possibility of Tiger being unseated arose. Singh faded somewhat after this though it was hardly a slump. He is now No 3 behind Woods and Els. Singh went on to take the Money List honours from Tiger for the first time in five years.

Meanwhile, Els has been closing that gap week after week. On the eve of the British Open, he said: "I guess that is important, but for me to win this tournament is more important. To win Majors is more important for me, for my career. And if the No 1 comes around, obviously it will be great. To be No 1 in this day and age, with so many great players, would be quite something."

Els has the best record among all those hoping for glory at the Royal Troon Golf Club this week. He has made the cut in 12 consecutive Opens and his worst has been 28th. He has finished in the top 10 seven times, including his victory at Muirfield in 2002. He also tied for second in both 1996 and 2000, the latter at St Andrews where Tiger won by eight shots.

Settled in the UK, Els first arrived at the Royal Troon as an amateur in 1989. He was only 19 then. He missed the cut but took back some amazing memories, including a "Hello"s from Jack Nicklaus at the practice range.

As you read this, the Open will be two days old and at a midway stage. By next Sunday, you could have a new World No 1, a spot that had been reserved for Tiger for five years and remained an elusive target for every player.