The Internationals captain for the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne talks candidly about his career – the major wins and losses, the impact of Tiger Woods, his charity work, the distance debate and the belief he has in winning again before he turns 50.
What’s driving you on these days? You’re still playing a lot of golf.
I don’t want to let go. Once you do that it is really tough to come back. I haven’t played very well for a while. But I’m a bit more healthy than I was a few months ago, so I will play a full schedule in 2018. I want to see if I can still get a win out of this thing.
You’re at that awkward age aren’t you? It’s tough to stay competitive on the regular Tour when you’re in your late 40s. And you are a little too young for senior’s golf.
That’s right. It is an awkward age (laughs). It’s a bit like no-man’s land between 45 and 50. It is so hard to keep up with the young boys. But I don’t want to let my game go. As I said, I don’t want to get to 50 and have to work really hard to get to the level I would need to compete on the Champions Tour.
You still hit it far enough don’t you?
I do. I can still get it out there enough that I’m not miles behind. But take today (the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic). I made six birdies out there, which is good. But the bogies were sloppy. There was a three-putt. There was a silly three from the edge. Very soft stuff. That’s the sort of stuff I have to clean up. If I do, I think I can still compete at the highest level.
RIGHT: Els endured a putting nightmare at Augusta National last year. PHOTO: Getty Images.
Having said that, the likes of Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy are playing a different course than most of the other players.
Yeah. They play the sort of game I used to play when I was in my prime. I was able to dominate fields and courses. But that’s not quite happening any more, which is the frustrating part of the game for me right now. I know what I could do. But I’m not quite the same player now. Having said that, I’m not chopped meat yet either (laughs). Which is why I’m still keen to see what I can get out of the game.
It’s all about confidence really. If I can get some of that going, I’ll be able to compete more. I’m getting there too. My putting has turned around.
I was going to ask you about that. We all saw what happened to you on the first green at Augusta (five putts from short range) a couple of years ago.
Exactly. But I’ve come back from that, which is amazing really. I was really nowhere back then. I had a huge fear of short putts. I’m not sure I quite had the yips, but there was a lot of anxiety.
What did it feel like?
I was just totally out of control. I was panicking.
It was horrible to watch.
Yeah. I was like, ‘get me out of here.’ It was a total brain freeze. So I had to work hard to get to where I am now. The centre-shaft putter I have now has really helped. It stands up. I can see exactly where I am aiming. And it feels much more relaxed. It has really come around nicely.
Did you make technical changes to fix the mental problems?
I did. I went left hand low. But the bottom line was that I spent so much time on my putting that my long game suffered. Then I had some injuries last year. That all slowed me up a bit, which was frustrating.
You must have feared the worst after Augusta.
I did. Definitely. But I didn’t want to end it that way. I have so much love for the game. It has given so much. So I couldn’t leave like that. But it took a lot of work and lots of determination to get around what I was feeling. Now it is just a case of putting my whole game together. If I do that, I can really get something out of the next few months.
I remember reading an article about Bobby Jones. He was on the putting green at Augusta with some friends. They were watching him and asking what he was doing. He had the heebie-jeebies too. He could barely get around the course. So that sort of thing is no respecter of anyone, not even the greatest players.
Tiger is making yet another comeback. Let’s talk about him. You are always portrayed as the guy with the most scar tissue from competing with him at his best. Do you look back and wish he had never existed? Or did he make you a better player?
I think it’s a bit of both. If he hadn’t been around I would probably have won at least eight majors. I had a head start on many guys early on. I felt like the best player back then.
That’s because you were. Was it hard to be relegated to second best? How hard was that?
Yeah. That made a big difference. I was always in his shadow, which was understandable. He was the biggest thing in the game by far. For at least 10 years it really felt like I was the ugly step-child. I was a big player, a really good player. But he was a bit better. So it was tough.
Looking back now, I feel proud that I played in that era. And I won four majors.
You are the only player who won a major before Tiger, during Tiger and after Tiger.
(laughs) That’s right. Exactly. I was right there. A lot of guys popped in now and then – David (Duval), Freddie (Couples), Vijay (Singh) – but it did seem like I was much more involved in the majors than anyone else. Apart from Tiger of course. I stepped up more than anyone else. More than Phil did anyway. Towards the end of Tiger’s best period, Phil did start to get some wins on him. But when we were all in our primes, I was the guy who faced up to him. I’m proud of that. Even if I didn’t get the number of wins I wanted. He was just phenomenal.
RIGHT: Tiger Woods and Ernie Els going heard to head at the NEC Invitational in 2002. PHOTO: Getty Images
What were the differences between you and him back then?
His ball-flight was the biggest thing. He could hit shots that I just couldn’t pull off. Not like he did. Where I would ‘feed’ the ball into greens from right-to-left, he had the massive high shot that would come down and stop almost immediately. I noticed that most at Hoylake in 2006. We played together there. The course was bone-hard. There were a couple of par-3s where I just couldn’t hold the greens. But his shots would. It was such a big difference. He just had that strong, high ball.
Our short games were similar. But boy could he putt. He made Jordan Spieth today look very ordinary. I would go so far as to say no one has ever putted as well as Tiger for as long as Tiger. He went for years without missing a putt that really mattered.
That’s what people forget. He didn’t win the US Open by 15 shots and the Open by eight with his long game. He did those things by holing everything.
Exactly. He made putts. I will never forget how good he was in that final round at Pebble Beach back in 2000. I was way behind but he was making everything. He holed maybe eight 30-footers. And he kept doing that week-in and week-out. The intensity was amazing. It was almost like he could make putts with his mind. I’ve never seen anything like that. It was kinda spooky really. I thought I was a good putter. But this guy was something else again. Phenomenal.
It must have been especially hard for you? You grew up being told you were going to be ‘the guy.” Then along came Tiger.
It did feel like that. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t have things too easy before Tiger. But when I found my stride – I was winning all over the world – I felt like I was the guy to beat every week. In 1994 I won seven times. People forget that. I won a major too. It was like, ‘let’s’ go.’
Then in 1995 I had another good year. The same in 1996. Then in 1997 he won the Masters by 12 shots. Even though I won the US Open that year, it was like, ‘holy shit.’ He changed everything. And that was that.
What was your toughest loss? Augusta 2004, or Troon 2004? Or was it somewhere else?
The one that always gets me is the 1995 US PGA at Riviera. I had a three-shot lead going into the final round. But I was leaking oil all day. I hung in there though. And on the 16th I hit a 9-iron to about six feet. The putt horse-shoed out – the greens were terrible that week. That was the first time I thought to myself, “f***, that shouldn’t happen.”
Then I made a bogey on the 17th and finished two-shots out of the play-off between Colin Montgomerie and Steve Elkington. That really got to me. I was like, “s***, what was that?”
"Oh, that was horrendous. It was devastating. Absolutely devastating. I felt like I should have won. I was in total control from day one. All I had to do was make one putt over the last six holes..." - Ernie Els on his Open loss at Royal Troon
There was doubt suddenly?
I had never backed-off before. If I had the lead I always won. Always.
Then in the 1996 Open I dropped shots on the 16th and 18th in the final round. Both times by not hitting driver. And I am an aggressive player. I sat down afterwards and told Ricky (Roberts) my caddie we had to talk. I told him, “don’t ever f***ing pull me off when I want to hit driver.” He did that and made me hit 3-iron, which is not to say he was to blame. Ultimately, it was my decision.
Those two defeats hurt me early on. Then later, 2004 hurt a lot. So there were four majors I should have won. In fact, I could have won all four in 2004. That was tough. After 2004, I hurt my knee and I was never really the same player. It had a huge impact on my game. I’ve never really been able to get onto my left side. I still have good hands and can get around that, but I’ve never been the same player. Not really.
The picture of you I have in my mind is on the last green at Troon in 2004. Todd Hamilton is just holing out to win. I’ve never seen anyone look as bereft as you did.
Oh, that was horrendous. It was devastating. Absolutely devastating. I felt like I should have won. I was in total control from day one. All I had to do was make one putt over the last six holes and Todd would have been gone. But I missed them all. I just couldn’t make a putt anywhere. And he was getting up-and-down from everywhere.
I didn’t handle that loss very well. I was supposed to go from Prestwick to the US that evening. But we changed plans and went to South Africa. I was there for two weeks just to get away.
Was it so hard to handle because you felt like you had beaten yourself? Whereas Phil beat you at Augusta.
Yeah. That’s the difference. I accepted the Masters. Phil shot 30 or something on the back-nine. Brilliant. Well done. I made peace with that pretty quickly. He beat me. But those others live with me still. I just didn’t finish them off.
Did the game ever feel as easy to you as you made it look to the rest of us?
I read a lot about Dustin Johnson these days. He and I have a lot in common. He is much longer and all of that. But he has all the shots, and so did I. I could shape the ball both ways. High. Low. Good touch around the greens. 68 was par for me. And I see the same with him.
You can never say the game is easy. It never is. But I felt very comfortable for a long time. But I’m a naturally shy person. So when people like Curtis Strange started saying nice things about me – (“I’ve just seen the next God”) – I got uncomfortable. I started downplaying it all.
I feel strongly that you have to be friends with the guys on Tour. But when I look around at how some of the stars act today, I could never do that. I felt that I needed to be one of the guys. I felt more comfortable that way. If I had gone to that other level and kept people at arm’s length I would not have been me. I tried to keep a balance. And I think the guys made me one of them.
It’s a tough balance though. You have to be careful. I’ve seen guys do it the other way. And once you ‘lose” the locker room, you lose the players. You are not always going to be up. You have to remember that you will be headed in the other direction one day. You meet everyone in both directions. So it was important to me to be nice.
Don’t get me wrong. I wanted to beat everybody on the course. But I really believe there is an important balance to maintain. Especially when we have such long careers.
Never mind the golf. I’m thinking your proudest achievement in life must be the Autism Foundation and centre you have established in Florida?
That’s true, especially as I get older that gets even more important. It is amazing how many lives have been affected by that condition, and how many lives we have been able to affect with what we are doing. We go around the world now. And it is all because of my son, Ben. If it is wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be in this business.
Selfishly, we saw that Ben needed more and better help than he was getting, and we went from there. We have built a place that is perfect for people with autism. They can grow as autistic people. We are never going to cure the condition, but we can give them such a helping hand, which is what we first wanted to do for Ben. Now we help almost 300 kids. And we want to keep going. What we have now is just the blueprint for many more centres to come.
When governments start to buy in, I think we can really make a difference. Many of our kids are actually being incorporated into big businesses. SAP employ 117 alone. Microsoft, Dell and many other companies are starting to take them on, because they are so brilliant.
It is a bit like the Dustin Hoffman character in Rain Man?
Exactly. They have amazing talents. Ben has maybe 3,000 images on his iPad. He can flick through them at high speed and stop exactly where he wants to be. He obviously sees things we can’t see. He sees things at speed and very clearly. It’s amazing really, and exciting … and humbling.
How is Ben doing generally?
We see a big difference in him. He has improved so much. He is 15 and his autism is quite severe. But he is starting to really blossom. He has a great sense of humour. He has a good life. He has his routines. He loves being with me and I love being with him. We have a great rapport.
Samantha has been so good too. She is at Stanford now. But she had to grow up knowing we could never give her as much attention as she deserved. Not once did she complain. She is so intelligent and got it.
Clearly she takes after Liezl…
(laughs) You’re right there. I didn’t even finish school. But we have been blessed. To have two kids like I have is wonderful.
Do you have a theory as to why South Africa produces so many great swingers of golf clubs? You. Oosthuizen. Grace. Schwartzel. Goosen. It’s a long list.
We all grow up in great weather a great climate. We rarely have to fight wind like you have in Scotland. We can hit shots high and develop good technique. The junior foundations are great too. Kids get a lot of encouragement. We have three pro tours for guys on the way up and a lot of our players give back to the system they grew up in. All of that adds up.
RIGHT: With daughter Samantha on the bag during the Masters Par-3 Tournament. PHOTO: Getty Images.
My little nephew is in the college system at Auburn, and there are so many other South African kids in the US now. Golf in South Africa will forever be strong. Put it this way. If I had grown up in Scotland I don’t think I would have been a golfer (laughs). Who wants to play in your weather?
An informer tell me that you had an interesting encounter with Nelson Mandela during the 1995 matches between Australasia and South Africa. He asked if you were avoiding him. Care to comment?
(laughs) I was just shy. I was standing at the back. Everyone wanted his signature, to shake his hand and have their pictures taken with him. I was like, “get on with it.” But the old man spotted me. He wondered if there was something wrong with me (laughs).
We actually had an unbelievable relationship. It started back in the early 1990s. We had a bond, right up to the day he passed away.
How do you describe someone like him?
The hairs on my arms stand up every time I talk about him. I got so much flak at home in 2012 when I thanked him in my speech when I won the Open. People were like, “get over it.” But if it wasn’t for him, what would South Africa be like today? It is tough enough now.
I knew him for what he was. The way he treated Samantha and Ben was very touching. We flew together at times. He was just an unbelievable human being. And, as soft and nice as he was, he was also the most brutally honest person I ever met.
For example?
Just that time he wondered what I was doing at the back of the room. “Stand up for yourself,” he told me. “No one will notice you back there. I know you are trying to be nice, but be a man.”
Where is South Africa headed?
We went through a bit of a dark period. Not everything was ever going to be smooth. But with a new leader I think things will be better. We went a little bit off script but I am hopeful. It is such a wonderful country. I go back every year and last December was the best I have felt about my homeland in maybe five or six years. People were optimistic and had fire in their bellies. We just need to get the right people in the right places. And that is already happening.
What is your attitude to the Champions Tour?
I spoke with Monty today about that. He loves it.
You can still kick his arse can’t you?
(laughs) I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But yes, I can.
Anyway, he is loving it. I’d like to see a bit more money involved. But I’ll be there when I’m 50. I’m optimistic about my game. And I think I could do well. But I’m an honorary member of the Asian and European Tours, so I will still play a bit on both too. I just have to keep my body in decent shape.
Where do you stand on the distance debate?
I’m fine with it. The way the game is going is fine. Even with a shorter ball the longer guys will still be longer. But I would like to see the ball go sideways more. We need more spin.
We have to be careful though. The amateur game is more important than the pro game. I don’t want to see that suffer through changing the ball.
I don’t think anyone is suggesting we change anything to make it harder for the amateurs.
No. But I don’t like the idea of two sets of rules. If you change it for us and not them, the amateurs won’t be able to compare themselves with us.
Do you worry that some of the great courses are obsolete for you guys?
That is the tragedy of it. We can’t play Sunningdale anymore. And I worry for St. Andrews. I can only imagine what they will do to Shinnecock for the US Open this year. So you make a good point. But I’m not sure about the pros and the ams going in different directions.
Still, no one is playing like Seve or Lee Trevino any more. So how can what we have now be better?
Another good point. The game at the highest level is all about ‘bombing’ it. I see it every day on tour. Maybe we should go back to those little drivers and balata balls (laughs). Can you imagine? I can, but the game has gone so far in another direction. It’s a great debate. We need to talk again (laughs).
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