A major that was anything but easy

GULLANE, Scotland -- Ernie Els didn't need Tiger Woods around to show he still has the mettle of a major champion.\nEls rebounded from one setback after another Sunday, most of it his own doing, and outlasted Thomas Levet of France to win the British Open in a four-man playoff that produced the first sudden-death finish in the 142-history of the tournament.\nEls squandered a three-stroke lead on the back nine at Muirfield, only to recover with a birdie-par finish to get into the four-hole playoff. He held it steady with pars, then won with a bunker shot on the first extra hole that will become the signature of this Open.\nWith his right foot anchored on the top of a bunker left of the 18th green, and not much room to make a swing, Els blasted out to 5 feet. The winning par putt just curled in the right side and the engraver could finally get to work on the silver claret jug.\nNo other trophy has ever meant so much.\nEls honed his game on European tour soil and was destined for greatness until Woods came along and started collecting majors at a frightening rate. Els has been runner-up to him twice in the majors, six times overall.\nHe won the British Open the same way he won his two U.S. Open titles -- with grit and determination, unfazed even when it looked as though he had wasted his chances.\n"This was one of the hardest tournaments I've ever played," Els said. "The emotions I went through today -- I don't think I've ever been through that."\nIt was the third major championship for the 32-year-old Els, his first since the U.S. Open at Congressional five years ago.