Els delights as golf waits on Woods
The golfing world has to hang on a little longer, but for Ernie Els the waiting is over.
now is the time to consider Els' popular win at the WGC CA Championship.
Once we get definitive word on Woods, Els' win will be swept from golf's news agenda - such is the way the world number one dominates, even when he is absent from the game.
There will be few more popular wins this year, than Els' four shot victory after a closing 66 on a wind blown Blue Monster. Everybody loves Ernie, for his glorious tempo and the way he has played the game over the past two decades.
But his "Big Easy" reputation has been nothing more than a misleading caricature in recent years. This is a man who has been at odds with his golf game for some time, who behind locker room doors has been irritable and annoyed at his lack of success.
Was it the march of time that had led to an inevitable loss of his form? Had it turned such an assured putting stroke into something so twitchy? Isn't that what happens when you turn 40?
Was it coping with the impact of his son's autism on his precious family life? Had his famous globetrotting schedule spread his talents too thin? Had he never fully recovered from having his knee rebuilt? Or was it residual scar tissue damage of a different kind,
Either way he had become massively removed from the seemingly easy going title machine that collected two US Opens ( and ) and
And it is this background that makes this victory all the more special. As Els admitted: "It means so much, I didn't ever think it was going to happen again."
A delighted Els displays the WGC-CA Championship trophy - Pic: Getty
Now the South African inevitably is turning his thoughts to a tournament he would want to win above any other. Twice he has been runner-up, but in each of his last three visits to Augusta he has missed the cut.
Clearly Els has to retain the putting touch that steered him through a bogey-free final round at Doral. That will be a huge challenge, to keep the yin and the yang in the right place on such treacherous greens as those at the Augusta National.
We should not ignore the other big news to come out of the second WGC event of the year, the emergence on the world stage of the young South African beaten into second place,
Already a winner twice this year, the 25-year-old apprentice to Els, is a massive prospect who deserves to be thought of alongside the other emerging talents like and
Schwartzel has done nothing of any significance in majors to date and will make his Augusta debut next month. But his performance in Miami and overall form this year makes him one to watch now.
Attention is likely to be elsewhere, though. All the indicators are pointing at a Woods return to action at the Masters, if not before.
Organisers at the the exhibition event between the moneyed estates of Woods' Isleworth and Els' Lake Nona, are expecting word imminently on whether he will play the event on March 22 and 23.
And he has until Friday evening to announce whether he will defend his title at Bay Hill later that week. The most reliable word from the Woods camp is pointing towards an Augusta appearance as well.
The waiting game should end soon, for Els it must feel like it is already over.
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Comment number 1.
At 16th Mar 2010, The³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖFan wrote:Ernie is one of my favourite golfers and it was a great win for him, lets hope he can win another major.
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Comment number 2.
At 16th Mar 2010, uksportsfan-couk wrote:Good blog and great that Ernie is making headlines for his golf, not about the timing of you know who's press conferences.
I felt the tournament really turned on the 14th green. After Els had duffed it down the right side of the fairway he hit a wonder shot from near on 100 yards and then sunk a near 30 footer for par.
It was a real momentum changer. Schwartzel must have been thinking about a potential two shot swing which meant he would have led by a shot with four to go. Instead Els knocked his putt in, Schwartzel made par and he remained one behind.
Charl was then unlucky by plugging in the greenside bunker at 15, he made bogey and the tournament was basically over. Do you think his tee shot at 15 was partly to do with what happened on the hole before?
I do think you're right that he is one of the young stars of the game - he's heading quickly towards the world's top 10.
Els commented about his putt on 14 afterwards: "Luckily for me, I did it on the 14th hole today. And absolutely, I felt a lot better after that. I felt like maybe this one is for me this week."
Also, Iain, in a future blog, can you tell us more about the Els for Autism Foundation and Academy of Excellence... It sounds like a great cause.
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Comment number 3.
At 16th Mar 2010, Iain Carter wrote:uksportsfan-couk Good point re Ernie's foundation. More info here:
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Comment number 4.
At 16th Mar 2010, JoeStimo wrote:I was chatting to a friend of mine who plays mini tour golf. He played two events last year where Ernie was 'Playing' (Guest appearing). He couldn't speak highly enough of his attitude and temperament. He also stood and watched him hit balls on the range for 45 mins, and was in awe of this huge mans touch and skill.
He is a shining light in the game of golf, and in todays culture of vulgar sponsorship deals (see Camillo Villegas & the well known perk up drink!), he keeps the reputation and integrity of golf intact.
P.S Mark Roe (Golf Night - Sky Sports) tipped Easy for a big year....
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Comment number 5.
At 16th Mar 2010, kwiniaskagolfer wrote:It was interesting to read the interview with Ernie describing his shattering disappointment at Phil Mickelson pipping him for the 2004 Masters.
The fact that he now prioritises the Majors as:
1).Masters
2).PGA
3).Open Championship
4).US Open
. . . . provides insight as to where his career focus now lies.
Great for golf that he now feels his career goals are once again within reach. Good luck, Ernie!
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Comment number 6.
At 16th Mar 2010, James wrote:What a great win for Ernie! I just hope this does prove to be a stella year for the Big Easy as I believe the game needs someone of his character, temprement and respect of the game to show golf as it should be. This man should be every golfers role model, young or otherwise!
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Comment number 7.
At 18th Mar 2010, Phil McCrackin wrote:Wait till the Masters comes around... Ernie's nemesis will be back and he will fall apart. A tournament which he is desperate to win. Im afraid the Not So Big Easy will spend the rest of the year falling down the OWGR.
Dont get me wrong, it was great to see him win again and with trusted caddie Ricci Roberts back on the bag. But the Big Man is no longer a force in World Golf!
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Comment number 8.
At 29th Mar 2010, golfingpeet wrote:#7 are you watching the Arnold Palmer Invitational? I think you are about to be proven wrong in 2010 about the Big Easy. He is still that! And make no mistake - that swing is still a beauty to behold!
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Comment number 9.
At 9th Jul 2010, Samuel wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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