more Masters Sunday Final Round [B]Charl Schwartzel +100 [/B]vs. Ernie Els
“This place just does it to me,” Els said after a 3-over 75 Saturday. “I prepared and prepared, and I think about it. It’s killing me.”
At 40, Els knows his chances of winning a green jacket are diminishing. Only five players have won the Masters in their 40s – Jimmy Demaret (1950), Ben Hogan (1953), Gary Player (1978), Jack Nicklaus (1986) and Mark O’Meara (1998) – but none since the course was drastically lengthened in 2002.
Els thought he had it right this year. He was on a hot streak. Even through the first 17 holes Thursday, Els was in perfect position at 3 under, but then there was No. 18, Holly, which is far fiercer than its name.
“I get over things like that, but even yesterday I was still thinking about it,” Els said of the double bogey he suffered at the 18th. “I knew I needed to shoot four rounds in the 60s. And then double-bogeying 18 kind of killed me a little bit.”
“I think next year I’m just going to come in Wednesday, or Tuesday night, and play and leave the family at home,” he said. “Seventeen years of playing practice rounds . . . I mean it’s crazy. If it’s not going to happen, it’s not going to happen. What can you do? But I’m just beating my head against a wall every time. I had a good attitude and the game was there, everything is there.
“We don’t gel with the place.”
“I’m going to play Sunday, try and break par, not break a club if I can,” Els said. “And then I’m going to have a great week off and look forward to playing (The Players). I want to have a good year. I’ve had a great start.
[B]Well try he may, but he surely is not in the right frame of mind here and now. He has shot 71,73,75 and now I think if he goes bad early he may not break 80? I'll project 76. Schwartzel bounced back after a poor 76 2nd Rd to shoot 72. I'll project he shoots 72 or better.[/B]
