Is Ernie a choke artist?

[themasteroncbs]

Today, big Ernie blew a four stroke lead over Tiger in Dubai to lose the tournament. He also blew that tournament in South Africa in December by making a triple on the final hole. Not to mention his other recent failures to a get a W. I think the question should be posed, is Ernie a choke artist?

[hawkeye]

no. he's gotten himself in contention in his first game of the year. most fella's are a little rusty after time off. you can't say he wasn't trying - ended up in an unfortunate place on 17 and went for a big shot on 18. He had to birdie one of the last few holes to draw level - he went for it and it didn't pay off!

Tiger did birdie 10, 11, 13, 14, 17 and 18 - it's not like Ernie threw it away. The one before Christmas you might call a choke but he's finished off 2 majors in playoffs - thats what he'll be remembered for.

[Big_M]

Originally Posted by hawkeye

no. he's gotten himself in contention in his first game of the year. most fella's are a little rusty after time off. you can't say he wasn't trying - ended up in an unfortunate place on 17 and went for a big shot on 18. He had to birdie one of the last few holes to draw level - he went for it and it didn't pay off!

Tiger did birdie 10, 11, 13, 14, 17 and 18 - it's not like Ernie threw it away. The one before Christmas you might call a choke but he's finished off 2 majors in playoffs - thats what he'll be remembered for.

I agree... Ernie did hit a poor shot on 18... but that is golf, and he isn't a choke artist. You could just as easily say Phil choked by missing putts all day today. Ernie will win again.

[MPS67]

I'll give the Big Easy credit for going for the win. Although, I believe he made an unwise decision by using his 5 wood into the wind that was breezing over the galleries directly into him. He should have known better, considering the longer hitting Woods came up short the day before from only a few yards farther back tan where he was lying.

[golf_junkie27]

Calling Els a "choke artist" is absurd. Tiger birdied every other hole on Sunday. How can Els control that? He can't.

Still, he made the play to win the tournament, not lay up and hope for a great wedge shot. He went for the win. How many golfers do that? Not many. I applaud him for the effort. However, my fault with him is not using a 3 wood. Wind and distance did not call for a 5 wood.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by golf_junkie27

Calling Els a "choke artist" is absurd. Tiger birdied every other hole on Sunday. How can Els control that? He can't.

He can control the fact that he shot a fairly poor 71, though.

Originally Posted by golf_junkie27

Still, he made the play to win the tournament, not lay up and hope for a great wedge shot. He went for the win. How many golfers do that? Not many. I applaud him for the effort. However, my fault with him is not using a 3 wood. Wind and distance did not call for a 5 wood.

Why should he "hope" for a great wedge shot? Zach Johnson laid up on every par 5 at Augusta and won. Did he not "play to win"?

In other words, I disagree with the premise that "playing to win" means going for it. It may have been smarter to lay up. We'll never know - Ernie will never know.

Anyway, a 225-yard shot from Ernie Els that fell 15 yards short? That's a bit bizarre. You'd think he could get there pretty easily.

[golf_junkie27]

Originally Posted by iacas

He can control the fact that he shot a fairly poor 71, though.



Why should he "hope" for a great wedge shot? Zach Johnson laid up on every par 5 at Augusta and won. Did he not "play to win"?

In other words, I disagree with the premise that "playing to win" means going for it. It may have been smarter to lay up. We'll never know - Ernie will never know.

Anyway, a 225-yard shot from Ernie Els that fell 15 yards short? That's a bit bizarre. You'd think he could get there pretty easily.

Respectfully, I watched this tourney. Els putting was not very good on Sunday. Secondly, his short iron approach shots on Sunday, with the exception of two, were outside of 10 feet. Again, the way he was putting, going for the green in two had to factor into his mindset. That's why I believe that he went for the victory. Making an eagle, while highly unlikely given his putting, gives him the win. Making a birdie puts him in a playoff with a chance to win. Big difference and that's why I wrote "going for the victory."

Additionally, Iacas, do you think it's fair to compare a short hitter's approach to an entire tournament vs a long hitter's approach to a final hole? I don't believe it's a just comparison, at all.

Again, for emphasis, an eagle guarantees victory. I'll take a guarantee over a possibility every day of the week.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by golf_junkie27

Respectfully, I watched this tourney.

So did I.

Originally Posted by golf_junkie27

Els putting was not very good on Sunday.

And the Giants didn't have a very good offense until the fourth quarter.

Here's another way of putting it:

Imagine being down 3 points in the Super Bowl with 5 seconds on the clock. You're at the opposing team's 25. Do you kick the field goal to tie or try for the end zone?

Winning outright with an eagle is a very low percentage shot. It increases the odds, too, that you'll lose outright as well (as Ernie did by dunking it in the drink).

In that situation in football, you kick the field goal.

Ernie could have hit 3-wood or laid up. Either would have been the safer play. The 3-wood would have gone long (free drop from the stands if he hit it that far).

I'm all for giving credit where credit is due, but Ernie doesn't get much here from me. He played stupid on the last hole after playing rather mediocre (for him) golf the previous 17 holes.

[hawkeye]

The Sky Sports commentators (on course) said he necked it - it wasn't a clean hit (like Tigers the day before). It was the right club. He was very near the plaque dedicated to Monty on the 18th fairway - just in the semirough.

If he hit 3 wood he'd have needed to neck it too - otherwise he'd be in the grandstand.

Hope he bounces back in India this week.