With his huge fondness for links golf, its fabulous courses, as well as the imagination and skills required to hit varying shots amid the treacherous sand dunes and cope with blustering coastal winds, Ernie Els admits there is a little part of him that feels he should have won more than one Open Championship.
Former Champion Els has experienced the contrasting emotions of joy and despair in Open Championship play-offs, having beaten Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington and Thomas Levet to win the 2002 Open at Muirfield, only to taste defeat to Todd Hamilton at Royal Troon in 2004 and finish runner-up.
Yet at The 136th Open Championship at Carnoustie this week, Els firmly believes he is primed to make amends for his disappointments and challenge for a second Claret Jug.
“Yes, I might have won more than one, absolutely,” he reflected. “I had quite a few chances – most recently, obviously, against Todd Hamilton. I felt I really played well that week at Troon, and didn’t get the most out of it.
“That’s as close as you can come to winning The Open, so that makes it even more disappointing. I had chances at Lytham in 1996, with Tom Lehman, so yeah, the chances came. But that’s taking you back into negatives again. Luckily, I’ve won it before, so it’s nice.”
Buoyed by his brilliant final round of 65 and third place at The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond on Sunday, the 38 year old is ready to tackle the Carnoustie test.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Els said with a smile. “I had a nice finish last week and enjoyed the round, making birdies. Obviously it’s a very different course we’re playing this week, but yeah, my game is suited to links golf and Open Championships.
“Luckily for me, I found a natural way to play links courses from a very early age, ever since I came over here as an amateur, way back in 1987, and playing The Links Trophy at St Andrews, and other great courses back then, like Woodhall Spa and Royal Lytham.
“I always enjoyed the way you had to play these golf courses. I think it suits a strong hitter of the ball, especially when the wind starts blowing. I just found a natural way of hitting bumps and runs, and hitting the ball low in the wind and taking more club, and just kind of carving shots through some of these flat positions.”
Nevertheless, Els knows he’ll need plenty of beef in Angus – for he rates Carnoustie as “the toughest of the lot” of the Open rota courses.
He added: “It’s got length, it’s got great bunkering – it’s probably the best bunkered course you’ll ever find anywhere in the world. I think this one and Lytham are really well bunkered, but this one has the length – and it seems like the wind always blows here.
“I’m staying at St Andrews this week. I was there this morning and there was no wind. You come here and it’s blowing. So it seems like this course, with the weather conditions and the way the layout is, it’s very demanding. You’ve got to hit every shot in the bag. Every links shot you can think of, you get tested here.”
Els, US Open Champion in 1994 and 1997, summed up: “All Majors are tough. From Thursday to Sunday it’s hard work – and it’s going to be the same here this week. It’s going to be a very tough test. Whether you enjoy it or not depends on your finish – and I hope I am going to enjoy it by having a good week here.”
