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Jan 11th, 2016
Ernie Els and the yips
And how he's fighting it
Words: John Dean Photography: Getty Images
Ernie’s putting has been under scrutiny for some time. Well, ever since his terrible miss at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship back in October.
And he’s missed again, with another painful eighteen incher at the South African Open. He has moved from the long putter, but he has also admitted to being “a little bit jumpy.”
"It was a disaster," he said. "Anybody's ever seen the yips, obviously that was the perfect yip stroke you've ever seen in your life. It is what it is. The game of golf you've got to do some silly things when you play long enough… Hopefully I won't have too many of those again, because you can't play golf like that."
“I’m really looking forward to playing golf properly this year. I’m tired of being uncomfortable on those little putts. I want to give this cross handed method a real go,” he said during a commentary session on the third day of the South African Open as he had missed the cut.
2015 was not Ernie’s best year by a long shot, as he slipped way down the rankings to 191st in the world. But he is still positive.
“I am really very comfortable in life, in general, I’m having a good time out there. Like Bobby Locke once said, he’s never seen a grumpy good putter. But you see a lot of grumpy bad putters.”
Els has confirmed that he would play in Abu Dhabi and Qatar on the European Tour this month before heading to the U.S. PGA Tour.
“Depending on the weather I’m going to start my season at Pebble Beach (Feb. 11-14) or Riviera (Feb. 18-21)," he said. “I would love to have competed at the Olympics but I’m so far down the rankings, I’d need to win a couple of Majors to get back into contention. It’s wonderful for our sport to be included in the Olympics and to meet the other athletes must be wonderful,” he added.
That’s absolutely the spirit we think for the Olympics. It’s about so much more than just the golf – the opportunity to be part of something so much bigger than yourself and your sport. That’s just one of the many reasons we love the Big Easy, and his rogue other half, Theodore.
For more on Theodore click here.
