Pals on a golden journey

"I like to have it the way it is at the moment," said the game's hottest player right now, surely a fair wager at 16-1. "I can do a lot of things Tiger can't. Like sitting down in the corner of my local, having a drink with a few friends and not getting bothered."

Perhaps his shyness is mistaken for greyness. Els, who's known him since Goosen was beating him as an amateur, once chided those who called Goosen colourless by reminding them that here was a guy who was brought up speaking Afrikaans and didn't learn his English until later in life.

It's also easy to forget the life-changing trauma Goosen endured as a 15-year-old when struck by lightning during a round at his home course in Pietersburg. It cost him his hearing for a while and it was months before he recovered physically. His parents say he had been an extrovert boy until then; mentally, he became a different, more subdued character.

Goosen thinks being a colourful character is overrated, noting cheekily: "Older guys like Darren Clarke are trying to be more colourful by getting trendy haircuts and wearing £300 pairs of trousers that are so ugly."

Goosen will probably never be as at home in the spotlight as Els and you couldn't imagine him getting as angry as Ernie did yesterday when raging about the stupidity of a US official who had accused him of "giving up" during his last round at the recent US Open, a supposed capitulation which helped ease Goosen's path to victory.

Already Goosen is being treated differently: winning one major can be written off as a bit of a fluke but winning two makes you a bit special.

At 35, it is not inconceivable that, over the next few years, he might actually start eclipsing the achievements of Els, who has won three majors to Goosen's pair and 50 career titles to Goosen's 21. The great thing about Els, though, is that you know he'd be genuinely delighted for his pal if that happened. Typically, he put on a lavish barbecue celebration for Goosen after that recent US Open win.

Those who have watched the pair's development always reckoned Els had a protective streak towards Goosen. Yesterday, Ernie sounded positively wistful as he recalled their long path to Troon from their golfing duels in the old Transvaal to their days when Goosen drove Els and fellow national servicemen around on the bus.

"Retief 's always kept himself to himself," said Els. "But he's got the game, he's got the confidence. And he's a hell of a player."

All he needs now is a decent nickname like his mate. How about him being upgraded as the 'Golden Goose' come Sunday night?