The British Open has come and gone, and it definitely lived up to the hype. The Old Course was once again the site of history. Tiger Woods won his second Claret Jug and completed the career grand slam for a second time. He and Jack Nicklaus are the only two golfers in history to accomplish that feat. Speaking of Nicklaus, the Golden Bear said farewell once and for all to major championship golf. He missed the cut by two strokes, and his walk down the 18th fairway on Friday will be remembered forever.
Those two stories will stick out in most people’s minds for years to come, but one other thing really caught my attention this past weekend. A certain South African once again struggled in a major championship, and I’m talking about Ernie Els. The “Big Easy” was plagued by inconsistent play once again, finishing at -2 overall and in a tie for 34th. Els started off with a shaky opening round and then bounced back with a 67 on Friday. He then shot a 75 on Saturday and finished with a 70 in the final round. This is definitely not the same Ernie Els we are used to seeing.
Oddly enough, this isn’t the first major championship Els has had problems with this year. He finished 47th at The Masters and tied for 15th at the U.S. Open last month. Els wasn’t feeling too good at Augusta, but he still didn’t play like he usually does. His finish at Pinehurst is a little misleading as well. Els was never in contention at the U.S. Open and finished nine shots behind eventual winner Michael Campbell.
This brings me to my main question: What is wrong with the “Big Easy?” It’s been anything but easy for Els the past few months. I have read different things over the past few weeks stating reasons why Ernie may be slipping off course (so to speak). I have to admit, I agree with them for the most part. I have thought about it for a few weeks now, and this is the conclusion I have come to.
There are two main factors contributing to Ernie’s sluggish play in the major championships. This can actually coincide with his poor play on the PGA Tour so far in 2005 as well. First, Ernie’s traveling schedule is probably the most rigorous of any great golfer in the world. It’s no secret Ernie loves to travel the world and play golf in many different continents along the way. In 2005, Els has played tournaments in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Els is a regular member of the PGA Tour, but he also plays many European Tour events as well. Els has three wins on the European Tour so far in 2005, so I know he can still win tournaments. There have been a few European Tour events in Asia this year, and that’s why I made mention of that continent. Also, Ernie is from South Africa and usually plays a couple tournaments in his home country throughout the year, most notably the South African Open. The “Big Easy” definitely doesn’t always take it easy on himself, that is for sure.
Els has mentioned that his harsh schedule has fatigued him a little bit, but he just continues to go about his business. At the first of the year, the fatigue wasn’t nearly as noticeable. However, over the past couple months, Ernie has looked physically and mentally drained once Sunday rolls around. Els still makes almost all the cuts, and that is very impressive considering the circumstances. But the “Big Easy” should be winning tournaments instead of just making cuts. Aside from Tiger Woods, Els could easily be the most talented golfer on the planet.
The second reason why Ernie hasn’t faced as much success in the majors this year stems back to last year’s British Open. Els finished second at The Masters in 2004, and he played in the last group on Sunday at the U.S. Open in 2004. It was no secret how close Els was to winning both of these tournaments. Then, Todd Hamilton outdueled Ernie on Sunday at the British Open, leaving Els oh so close yet again. As mentally tough as the “Big Easy” is, I think this took a serious toll on him.
Ernie Els seemed to bounce back at the 2004 PGA Championship, however, and was once again in contention after three rounds at Whistling Straits. But a poor final round derailed the hopes again. If the fatigue is affecting his physical abilities, these major championship hurdles definitely affected his mental abilities. When you add those two up, it’s not usually the recipe for success in crucial tournaments. And that has indeed been the case as I already mentioned in this article. Ernie Els has been mediocre at best in the big tournaments on the PGA Tour this year.
Final Thoughts
Ernie Els has stated numerous times he thinks his game is rounding into form. That being said, he really continues his struggles to put four solid rounds together in big tournaments. The “Big Easy” will look like the best golfer in the world at times. Other times, he looks like he should be ranked 50th in the world. The good thing is Ernie can still make cuts and be successful to a certain extent. Els can play poorly (by his standards) and still contend from time to time. The question then becomes whether he wants to simply contend. Ernie knows he is one of the best golfers in the world, and he knows he should be winning major championships.
Ernie is a great ambassador for the game of golf, and it’s great when he visits numerous continents and plays in numerous golf tournaments worldwide. I don’t want it to sound like I am against what he is doing. It is obviously his choice, and I respect that. But, I don’t really think he is going to be on the same level as Tiger and Vijay if he keeps the same schedule from here on out. Els is not 25 years old anymore, and age tends to affect the body more on the negative side it seems. Els is 35 years old now, so he is going to have to make some decisions on what his future might hold.
I understand Ernie has a house in Europe, and that is great. A few trips back and forth aren’t going to hurt him. But when he is traveling from Europe to American and vice versa for a month straight, it’s killing his golf game in my opinion. I think the “Big Easy” needs to learn to go a little lighter on the traveling. Once he is well-rested, he will be able to contend again and get that monkey off his back that has been on there since the 2004 Masters. The two things go hand in hand.
I’m not sure if Ernie Els will win anymore major championships or not in his career. If I was a betting man, I would definitely say he has a few more in him at least. I think Els can win another British Open or two and possibly The Masters somewhere along the line. I just hope he takes it down one small notch and gets both physically and mentally in shape once again.
What do you think Ernie’s problem is? Is it just a little slump? How many more major championships does Ernie have in him, if any? I’m sure there will be some agreements and disagreements on this topic, and I may have been a little too harsh to the “Big Easy.” Someone has to be the bad guy though. If you have any opinions on this topic, feel free to comment below or discuss it in our forum. Thanks for reading Thrash Talk this week, and have a great week of golf!
Photo Credit: © Dubai Desert Classic, Reuters/Aly Song.