GOLF / THOMAS BONK : At 24, the World Is Open to Els

Whither Ernie? We probably will be seeing a lot more of the new U.S. Open champion, headed for greatness in the opinion of Jack Nicklaus and others who say they know a phenom when they see one drive the green and curl in nasty 35-footers.

Els, of South Africa, said he plans to play 15 PGA Tour events next year, which would have been the minimum for keeping his card if he hadn’t earned a 10-year exemption by winning the Open.

“I think I will play a lot more tournaments (in the United States),� Els said. “But I will always play around the world, I think. For the time being, I am still pretty young and I can travel around. I will play Europe, I will play America, I will play Japan, I will play all over the place. But I will play a lot more in America, yeah.�

That’s probably a good idea. In seven events on the PGA Tour this year, Els has collected $529,130. He has made the cut six times and has three top-10 finishes--first in the U.S. Open at Oakmont, second at the Buick Classic and tied for eighth at the Masters.

On the PGA European Tour, he is third on the money list, trailing only Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal and U.S. Open co-runner-up Colin Montgomerie.

Els has moved from 11th place to No. 7 in the SONY rankings, passing Paul Azinger, David Frost, Ian Woosnam and Montgomerie.

As well as things have been going for him, Els said he isn’t going to change. He has earned a reputation as an affable, gum-chewing, big-money player with strength and finesse, not at all a bad combination.

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More Els: Maybe we should have seen him coming.

In 1992, he achieved the first hat-trick of the South African Open, PGA and Masters since Gary Player in 1979. Player was 43 when he did it. Els was 22.

Player sent a note to Els the morning of the playoff and Els found it hanging in his locker at Oakmont.

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Last add Els: Loren Roberts, who lost to Els in a sudden-death playoff for the Open title, said that at 38 he envies the 24-year-old Els’ game.

So what was Roberts doing at 24?

“I was an assistant pro working at Morro Bay, giving lessons, renting carts, selling green fees and making pimiento cheese sandwiches and hot dogs.�

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Fuzzy: Even though he shot a four-round total of 299 and finished in a tie for 58th at the U.S. Open, Fuzzy Zoeller maintained his sense of humor.

“I played ugly golf, but I almost broke 300, so I must be better than a bowler,� he said.

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Here’s Johnny: Johnny Miller, who has won 24 tournaments, is wondering why only one player, Nick Price, has won more than once this year on the PGA Tour.

“It is pretty amazing, isn’t it?� Miller said. “I wish there was a way of getting inside all these players’ heads and seeing how much they really play to win.

“We have players that obviously always want to win, but there was a time . . . Nicklaus would be first to admit that the whole focus of the week was to get rested up enough or prepared enough--like Hogan did--that you would go win.

“Now, it is more go through the motions of doing all the things you are supposed to do with the hopes of maybe it might be your week once a year or twice a year.

“Maybe it’s being realistic for the players, because there is (sic) so many good players now. But I can’t believe that you don’t get more multiple winners, especially out of the talents of a (Fred) Couples, (Greg) Norman.�

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FYI: For what it’s worth, Golf Digest predicts Price will win the British Open. Golf Digest also said the favorite at the U.S. Open

was Nick Faldo, who missed the cut.

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Domination: If they were 22 instead of 54 and 64, would Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer dominate golf today?

Of course, Nicklaus said.

“Any player who has been dominant in his time would be dominant today,� he said.

“If you brought Byron Nelsons, Ben Hogans, if you brought Bobby Joneses, Walter Hagens, I think all these players would have been dominant players.

“I certainly think Arnie and I would probably fall in the same category.�

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Stamps next? For the golfer who has everything, a Scottsdale company has come up with “golf paper,� which is paper made of traditional pulp, plus actual grass clippings from greens.

The clippings are treated and blended into the paper, which is made of recycled material.

Golf Notes

The City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department is sponsoring free golf lessons by local pros for golfers under 17 at the Rancho Park and Sepulveda courses Wednesday through Friday mornings and at Hansen Dam on Saturday mornings. Details: Hansen Dam (818) 899-2200, Sepulveda (818) 986-4560, and Rancho (310) 838-7373. . . . The NFL Players Assn.’s fourth celebrity golf tournament will be played July 18 at Yorba Linda Country Club. The event benefits the Community Family Guidance Center and the NFLPA “Goals for Life� program. Details: (310) 865-3969.

The Hansen Dam junior invitational will be played July 11. Details: (818) 893-0024. . . . KNBC’s Christopher Nance is the celebrity host of H.B. Barnum’s sixth “Adopt-a-Senior� celebrity golf tournament July 25 at California Country Club in Whittier, sponsored by the Recreation and Parks Department’s Senior Nutrition Program. The event benefits the program that provides hot, home-delivered meals to low income seniors. Details: (213) 485-4884. . . . A junior club program begins Tuesday and continues each Tuesday through Aug. 30. It includes lessons on etiquette, fundamentals and an opportunity to play several courses. Details: (310) 549-4954.

The Bobby Hatfield Celebrity tournament will be played Aug. 22 at Los Coyotes to benefit the Southern California Lupus Foundation. Details: (714) 833-2121. . . . The Camarillo Rotary Club’s community-charity golf tournament will be played July 25 at Spanish Hills. Proceeds will go toward a Rotary pledge of $250,000 to Casa Pacifica, a shelter for abused and neglected children. Details: (805) 482-1010.