Ernie aiming for fond farewell
back to the first question. Who knows? Because you still have to do it.”
Els doesn’t quite have the hard-luck history of Norman, Duval or even Ken Venturi, a runner-up in 1956 and 1960, before them.
His only other real chance to win was in 2000, when he missed every putt down the stretch and was runner-up to Vijay Singh.
The only year he didn’t qualify was in 2012, and there was an outcry for Augusta National to award him a special invitation, in part because of his stature in the game. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame two years earlier.
Els knows all about expectations, especially at Augusta. And when he still didn’t have a Masters trophy after 10 years, it began to wear on him.
Nothing was worse than Tuesday night at the year’s first major, when past champions headed upstairs for dinner in their green jackets.
“When it didn’t happen, it was a bit of struggle,” he said.
Els never had another top10 finish at the Masters after that close call in 2004.
“I’ve heard him talk about it. It frustrated him badly,” said his compatriot and 2011 champion Charl Schwartzel, a graduate of Els’ junior program in South Africa.
“If you don’t do it early enough, it becomes a thing. And once something becomes a thing in this game, you fight elements you don’t want to be fighting.”
Els doesn’t exactly come to Augusta in world-beating form.
Apart from tying for 13th in the Qatar Masters two months ago, he has missed the cut in nine of his last 10 starts.
His most recent memory of the Masters is a six-putt from two feet to make a 9 on the first hole of the first round. A proud man, he stuck it out and played 1 over the rest of the way for an 80.
Els is still traveling and working, yet he is winding down.
He exuded a certain calm and peacefulness during Monday’s practice as he ducked in from the rain under an eave of the Augusta clubhouse. His daughter, Samantha, just learned she has been accepted to Stanford next year. His “Els for Autism” foundation is thriving.
He wants this to be a good week on the greens, because it might be his last Masters.
Minus a green jacket, he has few complaints in a game that has brought him 57 victories worldwide, US Open titles at Oakmont and Congressional, and claret jugs from Muirfield and Lytham.
“The other majors, things happen to you,” he said. “This one didn’t.”