Ernie Els stood in the middle of the fairway on the par 5 14th at Innisbrook on Sunday afternoon in the Chrysler Championship faced with a little over 275 yards to get home. Despite playing himself out of the Tournament in the opening nine holes with a three-over par 39, the approach shot Els would hit made a big difference to him. Little did he know it, but as he stood in the Tournament at that point, Els would have finished at 31st position on the Tour money list — just enough to be the odd man out of the Tour Championship at East Lake.
Els had made mention several times in recent weeks how he wanted to earn his way into the Tour Championship, especially coming off of an injury-filled past two seasons and having not won on the PGA Tour since the WGC-AmEx Championship in 2004. He also said that he wanted to find a way to get into the Mercedes Championships — the season-opening event for the previous season's tournament winners. Knowing that the Chrysler Championship was out of his reach on the 14th hole, Els had to have realized the even greater importance of his approach shot and what was to follow in his round if he was to achieve either or both of those stated goals.
The shot that Els produced turned out to be what he called the shot of his season. Taking a driver off the deck into a tough wind on a difficult par 5, Els coerced the ball onto the lanky green within five feet of the cup. He had a legitimate chance at a double eagle, but as the ball settled, it was a surefire eagle.
Coming home in the final four holes, Els had some miscues on a day where he struggled to maintain any momentum that his flashes of brilliance provided. After an unfortunate bounce into the trees following an errant drive on the 18th, Els faced a tight 40-yard pitch shot to get up and down — perhaps with a spot in the field at East Lake on the line. Again, recognizing the moment, Els was nearly perfect with his pitch, almost holing it. The par secured his top ten finish position in the event.
Following the round, Els was so concerned about his position on the money list that he sought out a computer and Golf Channel reporter Mike Ritz to explain the math that might get him into the Tour Championship. It turned out that he had done enough to get into the season-ending event. He had around $13,000 to spare over Tom Pernice, Jr., the 30th-place finisher on the money list.
The furor that Els showed after the round to find his place on the money list and the subsequent relief that was apparent when he realized his achievement was refreshing, to say the least. Knowing that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the PGA Tour's two most popular players, would not be participating in the Tour Championship was a blow to the credibility of an event that has become increasingly less important over the years.
Els, though, did a lot to restore some of the prestige of making the field by his comments and actions throughout the week. Afterwards, he told Billy Ray Brown of ABC Sports that he really learned to appreciate making the Tour Championship after years of taking if for granted that he would finish in the top 30 on the money list. He seemed genuinely relieved to have achieved the benchmark and that he would have a chance to be deemed "Tour Champion" (whatever that may mean) next week.
Certainly, what else Els did could be considered staging by Els and the Tour given that Woods, Mickelson, and an injured Stephen Ames would not be showing up in Atlanta. Regardless, though, the display worked on any level you choose. Golfers need to show more passion for the game, but are often discouraged from doing so for various reasons. Players should not be afraid to show that they care — and not just the ones that are struggling to maintain their eligibility in the top 125. Actually, Els, who made well over $2 million during his PGA Tour starts this year, was a much more compelling story than the battle for that top-125 ranking.
I was already a fan of Ernie Els before this week. He is an incredibly talented golfer, a gentle giant of a human being, and has the perfect attitude for this sport. But he displayed something on Sunday that will have me definitively rooting for him more often — something that a lot of the Tour's elite seem to lack at times — heart.
Leave a Comment