Els finds it easy to be back in hunt at major
SAN DIEGO - It is impossible to look inside a man's soul, but if you could, Ernie Els insists you would not see a spirit so crushed by the disappointment of four summers ago that it caused irreparable harm.
"Mentally, I'm good. Mentally, I'm really up for it. I've got no problem getting myself motivated," said Els, for so many years pro golf's Big Easy, but in recent years more like a Big Enigma. So exquisite was his talent, so perplexing his results, even in major championships that for so long had been his forte.
They can still be. Of that, the 38-year-old Els is adamant.
"Absolutely," he said yesterday, moments after finishing birdie, birdie to shoot 1-over-par 72 in the second round of the 108th US Open at Torrey Pines to prompt questions as to whether he feels comfortable in this arena. The answer was a resounding yes.
"I mean, I haven't won [the US Open] in 11 years . . . but I've played well in the US Opens before, so I kind of know what to do mentally," he said.
Reaching the halfway point at even-par 142, Els finished his round early in the afternoon, knowing he'd likely be in the thick of things - and he is, tied for ninth, just three back. It's a far more desirable place than where he has been in recent major championships.
For so long a fixture atop the leaderboards - he was a top-10 finisher 13 times in 20 majors from 2000-04 - the easygoing South African has missed the cut in each of the last two Masters and has been only an occasional contender on the big stages. To compound matters, Els went nearly four years without a win on American soil, a skid that came to a halt in early March, but didn't put a halt to suggestions that he had never recovered from the major disappointment of four years ago: a loser by one stroke when Phil Mickelson birdied the 72d hole to win the Masters; from second through 54 holes to out of contention thanks to a closing 80 in the US Open; a playoff victim to Todd Hamilton's stunning British Open major; a share of fourth in the PGA Championship.
Four close calls in the majors, and he hasn't come close in any of the majors since.
Which perhaps explains why, after making deft par-save scrambles on a pair of par 5s, the ninth and 13th, to keep his round from slipping away, Els could hardly believe the reporter's question: How did it feel to be in the hunt at a major championship?
First, a stare. Then, a terse, "It feels good," because the answer should have been obvious. Of course, he was happy, because since making his debut in the US Open 15 years ago and winning his first major the next summer, these are the tournaments for which he plays.
They are also the tournaments that bring out his supporters in full force, a vocal crowd that has a way of cheering for Els that is different from that for Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson. Whereas fans hoot and holler and scream and cheer for Woods and Mickelson, with Els it is far more personal. They implore with great passion, like the gentleman to the right of the 18th fairway who watched as Els decided to go for the green in two at the 535-yard par 5.
"Oh, please, Errrrnnnnie, do it," said the man, who breathed a sigh of relief as Els's ball found sand and not water. It led to a birdie roll of 3 feet and a lofty spot on the first page of the leaderboard. Other names sit ahead of his, so, yes, the company is grand and the pressure great, which is why Els looked at ease. He was where he feels he should be.
"I made some good, aggressive swings coming in," he said. "So [I'm] a lot better. I feel a lot better now about tomorrow."
Indeed, after making birdie at the first hole to push to 2 under, Els failed to birdie any of the next 15, a stretch during which he went 4 over. Perhaps most crucial during this run were the par-saves he made at the 612-yard ninth and 599-yard 13th, par 5s that most players don't even think about reaching.
"Tried to go for all of them," he said, even if he did have to concede that he didn't quite pull it off. At the ninth, for instance, he had 280 yards to the green and figured short left was the place to miss. He sprayed it short right, "the wrong side," he said, though a brilliant fourth shot enabled him to save par. Then, at the massive 13th, Els drove it 320 yards and had another 280 to go when an old nemesis appeared.
"My bad shot has always been the left shot," said Els, whose second shot landed in a front bunker and third shot came to rest in a greenside bunker. From there, his lofty short game saved him, and put him in position for a birdie, birdie finish.
Thus, the smile on his face, and the deep sighs of relief from a loyal crowd that seemed to hang on his every shot. To them, he is simply "Errrrnnnnie," and their passion for him is unmistakable.
"Just don't ask me why," said Chubby Chandler, Els's manager. "Maybe it's his disposition, maybe his accent. Maybe it's his size, or that he plays like everyone wants to."
Certainly, he always has played in such a manner, Els's world-class game winning over fans and tournaments from California to Qatar, London to Thailand, Sun City to Tokyo, Sydney to St. Andrews. Though a large part of his personality takes shape from the ease with which he adapts to a variety of cultures, it is Els's competitive fire for major championships that will perhaps be his legacy.
So, yeah, it feels good to be in the hunt. As if you needed to ask.
