Or perhaps it is time for The Big Easy to opt for the claw grip, just as Justin Rose – who carded a solid 3-under 69 – has done this week. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been fourth in the world, but you have pretty good confidence; there’s only three guys better than you in the world”. But you love the game and you’ve got to have respect for the tournament and so forth.
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“But I’ve played this golf course well on the weekend the last couple years, and I have to take confidence from that. So, it’s very hard”. I could not get myself going today.
“I don’t know that they ever left”, she said, beginning to smile.
When Els’ torment on the first hole of Augusta National on Thursday finally ended after six putts for a quintuple-bogey 9, the four-time major victor and 19-time PGA Tour champ must have wanted to dive into the cup and hide. Els originally was thought to have recorded a 10, but the number of putts were miscounted by tournament officials as seven.
Els talked afterward about having “snakes in my brain” and acknowledged that he has struggled with short putts at times over the last several months. I don’t know what it is. Els then chipped to the top of the mound on the first green, but the ball rolled backward, and his par putt came from about 50 feet.
“When you get issues with your putting, and especially with these greens given the speed, I mean that actually can happen to anybody”.
But he resolved to “pull it back and play some decent golf” during the second round.
Els played well on the back nine Friday with birdies on Nos.
Els said he appreciated how the spectators tried to get behind him and the support of fellow players who applauded him for enduring such a tough situation. I didn’t realize he was fighting stuff like that upstairs with the putter. I was standing there. By the end, he let his frustration get the best of him, making a half-hearted flick at the ball with one hand on the club from less than a foot away.
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“I was nearly back to my normal self”, Els said after missing the cut at nine-over 153. I’ve certainly had my moments, everybody has, from short range, where they just are not confident in where they are starting it. And on Augusta National’s greens, with the wind blowing, it’s a place you certainly want to be comfortable. The whole day was a grind.
