By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer

DUBLIN, Ohio - Ernie Els needed only 100 putts to get around the Muirfield Course in four days.

That's a tournament record. Memorial Tournament founder Jack Nicklaus said he never - "not once" - in his great career ever got around a course for four days in as few putts.

"I've never done that before, either," Els said. "If I keep putting the way I am, and my short game stays there, I can get the rest ready to where I need to be" for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in two weeks.

He had more putts when he won the first of his two U.S. Opens - at Oakmont - but his stroke was equally pure and everything went in, he said.

"To win golf tournaments, you've got to make putts," Els said. "Look at Tiger - I think he's still the best at doing that. He's finished in the top three the last three weeks. I watched him play at Wachovia, and he couldn't keep it on the golf course and he still finished (well)."

"He couldn't keep it on the golf course (Sunday) either," Nicklaus interjected.

"And yet he parred every hole (on the back nine)," Nicklaus said. "He hit it left of the creek on 11; on 13 he hit it left of the bunker; on 14, he hit it in the water, then over the green and the bunkers; on 15, he's right of the bunkers on this second shot; 16, he missed the green left."

What does Nicklaus think of Woods?

"He's there every weekend, and he's not there on his game," marveled Nicklaus, who always prided himself on being able to "manage" his way around the golf course, too, even when he didn't have things working.

Els knew Woods was going to make a run Sunday. Woods, who started the day three back, was even with Els and Fred Couples at 12 under by the time Woods walked off the seventh green. "Tiger loves this place and he loves a challenge like that - being behind - so I knew he was going to be there," Els said. "I needed to stay steady. I needed to not lose it myself."

Els said the Memorial Tournament was a "good yardstick" for himself because of the field "and the way the guys played."

A ROSE IS A ROSE: Judging by his play at Muirfield, Brit Justin Rose, 23, is going to get his first PGA Tour victory soon. He's best-known for his train wreck of a third-round 81 at the Masters after leading through two rounds, but the wheels stayed on at Muirfield Village after his second-round lead.

His 71 Sunday followed his 69 Saturday to give him 11-under 277 for the week, good for fourth place.

At one point he was tied for the lead Sunday at 12 under.

DIVOTS: Northern Kentucky's Steve Flesch shot 71 (his lowest round of the four days) to finish at even-par 288. Franklin's Frank Lickliter ballooned to 80 to finish at 11-over 299. Nicklaus shot a final-round of 1-under 71.

"I had a chance to shoot a pretty darn low round, actually, and I screwed it up a little bit, but I still played all right," Nicklaus said. "If I don't play again (in a PGA event), then I've shot under par the last tournament round I've played."

Popular John Daly had a nice tournament, shooting 69 Sunday to finish at 5-under 283.