Tiger wins again in a Maui thriller

Sunday, April 2nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) - Ernie Els, a two-time U.S. Open champion with something to prove, had only two holes worse than par all week, made eagle on the last hole to force a playoff and played better than anyone from tee to green.

It still wasn't enough to beat Tiger Woods in the Mercedes Championship.

Picking up where he left off last year, Woods won his fifth straight PGA Tour event on Sunday in a pulsating finish that featured two eagles on the 72nd hole, two birdies on the first sudden-death hole and a 40-foot birdie putt no one but Woods thought could go in.
``It feels a lot better when you can beat the best players,'' Woods said after winning on the second extra hole. ``I was fortunate enough to get him this time.''

Gracious in defeat, Els was also stupefied.

``He does that quite a lot,'' the South African said of Woods' winning putt on No. 1, a 40-footer with 2{ feet of break. ``He does it at the right time. A bit of luck, but a lot of skill.''

Els matched Woods' 5-under 68 in another blustery round on the Plantation Course at Kapalua, matched his eagle on the 18th hole to get into the playoff, and promptly joined a list that includes Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

All of them - twice now for Els - have fallen victim to golf's longest streak in 46 years.

``I think he's a legend in the making, if he's not already,'' Els said. ``I think you guys have helped him a lot, but he's backed it up with his game. He's 24. He's probably going to be bigger than Elvis when he gets into his 40s.''

Woods became the first player to win five straight tournaments since Ben Hogan in 1953. His streak of five consecutive PGA Tour events is the longest since Hogan won six straight in 1948. The tour doesn't recognize Hogan's streak in '53 because it includes the British Open, which wasn't an official tour event until 1995.

And by winning the Mercedes, Woods inched a little closer to a record deemed untouchable in golf - 11 in a row by Byron Nelson in 1945.
Next stop: most likely Pebble Beach in four weeks.

Until then, the rest of the field will have a better chance to win because Woods will be taking time off and - get this - working on his game.

That should also give everyone time to soak in all that Woods has become.

If he is a legend in the making, it only grew in a heart-stopping finish to the first tournament of the year.

Woods and Els finished four rounds in the fierce trade winds off the Northeast coast of Maui in 11-under 276. Defending champion David Duval missed a ton of birdie putts and also had a 68, four strokes back at 280.

There was other great golf Sunday. Mike Weir made five straight birdies on the back nine for a 67 to tie for fourth at 285 with Jim Furyk. Carlos Franco had the best score of the day, a 7-under 66, and was at 287.

But the final round belonged to Woods and Els, and they staged a terrific show along the hilly terrain overlooking the Pacific.

Els, pounding his drives past Woods to show how determined he is to challenge him this year, took a 1-stroke lead through the first nine holes, and a 2-stroke swing on No. 10 - Els missed the green and made a rare bogey, Wood made a 5-foot birdie - gave Woods a 1-stroke advantage.

Back and forth they went, trading shot for shot.

Els drew even by knocking down the flag at No. 11 for a birdie, but gave it back when Woods birdied the par-5 15th. Els hurt his own chances by missing birdie putts of 6 and 4 feet on the back nine.

``If you're not making putts, you can hit the ball as good as you want,'' he said. ``Against a guy like Tiger, you need to make those putts.''

Woods finally blinked by missing the 17th green and making bogey, leaving them all tied with one hole to go. And then the level of play soared to new heights.

``When you're in competition that close, you don't realize what you're doing,'' Woods said. ``You're just trying to hit this shot, right here, right now.''

That's what they both did.

Woods hit a 3-wood to 8 feet and appeared to sew up the victory. Not so fast, said the Big Easy. He laced a 2-iron to 6 feet, then rolled his eagle putt on top of Woods.

Returning to 18, Els again gave himself an eagle try, this time from 30 feet. Woods left his approach out to the right, and his 60-foot putt rolled 6 feet under the hole. After Els' chance to win slipped by on the right, Woods extended the playoff.

``I just made more putts at the right time,'' Woods said.

Woods now has won eight out of his last 11 PGA tournaments, an astounding show of dominance. It also was the 14th straight time worldwide that Woods has had at least a share of the lead after 54 holes and gone on to win.

Along with $522,000 - enough to move him to No. 3 on career money list after fewer than four full seasons on the PGA Tour - Woods won a Mercedes SL500 Sport that sells for $88,000, and a blazer made of cashmere and silk valued at $3,300.

He also sent a scary message to the rest of the PGA Tour: It might take a superhuman effort to beat him.