Ernie Els had possibly the worst start to The Masters with a sextuple bogey on the first hole.
Ernie Els entered The Masters as a long-shot to win the tournament (225-1 odds). Part of that is because he has declined as of late.
He showed why his odds were so bad on just the first hole as it took him 10 strokes, including seven putts, to finish the par 4 hole.
In one hole, the faint shot Els had at putting on the Green Jacket has been destroyed after a seven-putt to begin his tournament.
This hole highlights an issue that Els has had lately that plagues countless golfers. Els, for lack of a better term, has the putting yips. He struggled to hit the ball straight and his frustration showed that it’s likely something that he wishes he had the answer for, but he doesn’t. Putting yips can be very difficult for any golfer to overcome.
Els has had success at The Masters in the past with second place finishes in 2000 and 2004. His 2004 second place finish is notable because he lost to Phil Mickelson by one stroke at the end. In 2000, he finished second to Vijay Singh. Ernie Els has finished in the top five at The Masters three times and the top 10 six times.
Despite his bad first hole, the South African has recovered from a complete disaster. Els is +6 through his first seven holes. Considering how bad his first hole was, that’s not too shabby. It will be close to impossible for him to overcome putting himself in such a huge hole on the first hole.
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