St Andrews, Scotland – It’s hard to believe a professional golfer, especially a multiple Major champion, can miss a six-inch putt but that’s exactly what Ernie Els did on Carnoustie’s 17th green in the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Thursday.
That astonishing sight – captured on television – cost him a bogey-five en route to a disappointing 72 but now, going to today’s final round at St Andrews, the Big Easy has recovered from that jerky little stroke to such an extent that he is on the front page of the leaderboard on 11-under-par and in contention in joint seventh place alongside fellow South African Branden Grace of this $5 million (R77 million) event.
“For a moment at Carnoustie I got a glimpse of what it must be like to have the yips,” the Big Easy said yesterday, allowing himself a little chuckle, after he walked off the Old Course at St Andrews to sign for a six-under-par 66 on the Old Course in sunny, near-perfect conditions.
“I think the jerky moment was something to do with the putter I was using. The club just didn’t feel right in my hands and I went back to my old, shorter putter at Kingsbarns, which I’ve used for most of my career in round two, and shot 67. Today I was six under through 12 holes and going really well before leaving two or three shots out there after that. I missed a shortish birdie putt at 13, failed to birdie the par-5 14th, and hit a bad drive at 15 which cost me a bogey.”
But the 45-year-old four-time Major champion made amends at the short par-4 18th where his drive finished just short of the green and he was able to two-putt up the slope for a closing birdie to move to 11-under-par 205 for the tournament, six back of runaway leader Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark.
“We’ll have to go really low to catch Olesen, maybe a 62 or a 63, but at least we have a fighting chance,” said South Africa’s favourite golfing son.
Olesen leads on 17-under 199, with Germany’s Florian Fritsch next best on 202.
Finishing 20 minutes earlier than Els, Grace, winner of this tournament in 2012, had driven his ball into the depression that is known as the Valley of Sin, also just short of the 18th green. A player is able to putt out of there and the Fancourt professional did so with exquisite precision, and he tapped in for a birdie three, a round of 68 and, like Els, a 205 54-hole aggregate.
In his post-round interview, Grace removed his wind-cheater to reveal a green golf shirt which, he said, he had worn to show his support of the Springboks ahead of last night’s World Cup clash with Scotland.
The 27-year-old also started poorly in this year’s tournament with a 73 at Carnoustie.
But he then went on to shoot 64 at Kingsbarns, a course at which he equalled the European Tour record for the lowest 18-hole return with a 12-under-par 60 on his way to victory here in 2012.
“I just love Kingsbarns and feel comfortable there. Whenever I tee up there it kind of lifts my spirits and I always seem to play well, and I read today – I didn’t even realise this – that my last four rounds there over the last four years in this tournament have been 30-under-par.”
Grace, who won last summer’s Alfred Dunhill Championship – also a European Tour event – has risen to 22nd in the world rankings following a strong showing in this year’s Majors, sharing fourth place in the US Open, tying for 20th in the Open, a career-best third in the US PGA Championship.
Third-best South African on the leaderboard is 21-year-old rookie Christiaan Bezuidenhout – the former SA amateur No1 playing in his first European Tour event as a professional – who carded a 71 at St Andrews yesterday to be tied for 30th on eight-under 208 following earlier rounds of 72 at Carnoustie and a sparkling 65 at Kingsbarns.
“It’s been a really special effort by Christiaan,” said his fitness coach Garth Milne. “He felt he didn’t play the best round today but he’s happy and proud to have made the cut and is looking forward to tomorrow’s final round at St Andrews.”
Justin Walters (209) and Danie van Tonder and Jbe Kruger (both 210) have also made the 54-hole cut.