The other record-chaser has fallen by the wayside. The path is clear for Ernie Els to pursue the all-time Westchester crown.
Vijay Singh has been banished to practice range at Bethpage after missing the cut yesterday in this Buick Classic.
Els, on the other hand, stood within striking range, tied for seventh five shots behind leader Loren Roberts as he opened yesterday’s third round of the rain-delayed $3.5 million tournament at Westchester CC in Harrison.
Els and Singh, along with non-participants Jack Nicklaus and Seve Ballesteros, are the only players ever to have won twice at Westchester.
Els is taking aim at leaving the others tied for second.
“I’ve got a shot at it,” said the congenial 32-year-old South African. “I’m playing OK, two bogeys and seven birdies in my first two rounds. I’ve been pretty consistent.
“I just have to play a little more explosive golf.”
Els captured the Genuity Championship in March at Doral, ending a drought in which he failed to win a tournament in 2001, the first title-less year he’d endured since 1994.
He shot sub-70 in each of the first two rounds for the first time since the Genuity, turning in 68-69-137 to position himself for the final 36.
Singh was cut after following a four-over 75 in his opening round with a 1-under 70. Players at 142 and above were cut.
Els will have to buck a trend to triumph here, since five of the last six winners here either held or shared the lead at the 36-hole mark.
While Els is aiming at his third Buick, he also will be chasing his third U.S. Open later this week at Bethpage.
“This is a good warmup, and I love this course,” said Els, who entered this tourney as the all-time leader in Buick Classic scoring at 68.79 strokes per round, just ahead of Nicklaus’ 69.43. “I’ve always felt that it’s great to have the Buick Classic before the U.S. Open. This type of course really gets you going.”
While no one has ever won the tournament immediately preceding the U.S. Open and followed by taking the Open, Els is the man who came the closest. Els finished second to Lee Janzen in the 1994 Buick, then captured his first U.S. Open at Oaklmont. He won it again in 1997 at Congressional.
Els ranks 11th in winnings this year, with $846,000 of his $1.575 million coming from that Genuity victory. It has been five years since Els won his last Open, but he doesn’t think it’s because his game has fallen off.
“I’m definitely a better player than I was five years ago. I scrambled the ball more five years ago,” Els said. “I’m a much better player, but I haven’t won a major in five years. It’s because other guys are playing better, especially Tiger [Woods]. It’s fair to say that it’s tougher now to win a major.
“What are you going to do? You just have to play better.”
He was aiming to do that here, aiming towards the U.S. Open by aiming at his Westchester record.
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Els is another foreign player carrying an American flag head cover in his bag in memory of the Sept. 11 victims. He planned a visit to the Ground Zero during his two weeks here.
“It’s always been special to come to New York, and 9-11 has been a shock to everyone,” Els said. “I’d been up to the top of the World Trade Center a couple of times. It used to be my visit when I’d come to New York. I want to see what it’s like down there now.”