Els hopes to walk in hero's footsteps
South African still trying to finish grand slam
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The old pictures in his head still motivate Ernie Els.
It was 1978, and the 8-year-old Els was at home in South Africa watching his hero win the Masters Tournament.
Gary Player birdied the 18th hole for a closing 64 and a one-shot win over three others, punching the air in jubilation as playing partner Seve Ballesteros celebrated with him.
"Well, that was the imprint in my head about Augusta was watching Gary win," Els said. "Obviously he was a hero of mine, still is, from South Africa. Watching your hero win the biggest tournament in the world is quite something, and then especially him making that putt on 18. And then it was Seve next to him going crazy; he was almost more happy than Gary was.
"That gave me the imprint of really wanting to go there and playing there and becoming a professional golfer and wanting to be in that same situation. I think any youngster at that age, you want to have a hero to look up to and you want to become like your hero. And that goes into all walks of life, you need some kind of inspiration, and that's what he was to me."
Els has been chasing that dream for 31 years, and for 16 consecutive years he's been in the Masters. For most of that time, the three-time major winner had been considered South Africa's heir apparent to Player in the champions' locker room at Augusta National until countryman Trevor Immelman beat him to it last April.
Els hasn't been the same at Augusta National since his spirit was crushed by a Phil Mickelson birdie putt on the 18th green in 2004. His string of five consecutive top-six finishes in the Masters from 2000-04 has yielded to repeated April disappointments. He hasn't finished better than tied for 27th since and missed the cut each of the past two years.
But Els insists he's as hungry as ever to add a green jacket to his accomplishments, which include two U.S. Opens and a British Open.
"I still have a goal to complete the grand slam, and that will stay with me until I stop playing out here," he said. The career feat has been reached by only five golfers, including Player.
"I always try and get my game figured out and get some confidence going before the Masters gets around. That's the goal again," Els said.
To that end, he is trying to regain a putting touch that made him a staple among the top five players in the world before slipping to his current standing of No. 16. He's watching old video of himself and reverting to a shorter, 35-inch putter that replicates his former equipment.
"I've been changing my technique and where my hands are and stuff," he said. "So I'm going back to the old things that I used to do."
While Augusta National has evolved from the one he fell in love with on television and the one he started playing in 1994, his attitude about the Masters is the same.
"It's two totally different places to go to," he said. "But you still get excited. It's still the Masters."
Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.
Masters Record
| Year | Place | Score | Round | Money | |||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| 2008 | 46 | 4 | 74 | 74 | $ 10,000 | ||
| 2007 | 66 | 10 | 78 | 76 | $ 0 | ||
| 2006 | 27 | 4 | 71 | 71 | 74 | 76 | $ 49,700 |
| 2005 | 47 | 10 | 75 | 73 | 78 | 72 | $ 23,100 |
| 2004 | 2 | -8 | 70 | 72 | 71 | 67 | $ 702,000 |
| 2003 | 6 | -1 | 79 | 66 | 72 | 70 | $ 208,500 |
| 2002 | 5 | -6 | 70 | 67 | 72 | 73 | $ 212,800 |
| 2001 | 6 | -9 | 71 | 68 | 68 | 72 | $ 181,300 |
| 2000 | 2 | -7 | 72 | 67 | 74 | 68 | $ 496,800 |
| 1999 | 27 | 4 | 71 | 72 | 69 | 80 | $ 29,000 |
| 1998 | 16 | -1 | 75 | 70 | 70 | 72 | $ 48,000 |
| 1997 | 17 | E | 73 | 70 | 71 | 74 | $ 39,150 |
| 1996 | 12 | -1 | 71 | 71 | 72 | 73 | $ 52,500 |
| 1995 | 56 | 3 | 72 | 75 | $ 1,500 | ||
| 1994 | 8 | -2 | 74 | 67 | 74 | 71 | $ 60,000 |
