Ernie Els has the last chance to make it to the Masters with a win in the Shell Houston Open – Golf News
Ernie Els, ranked 58th in the Official World Golf Rankings, has the only chance left to make it to the Masters Tournament this year with a win in the Shell Houston Open, starting from Thursday, March 29, 2012.
Els has played the last 18 events in a row and he is on the verge of missing the Masters for the very first time since 1993.
Last week, he participated in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he needed to finish among the top-three positions on the leaderboard.
However, he faltered in the final round and carded a three-over par 75 to share the fourth position with six other players.
Even if he had managed to record an even-par score on Sunday, he would have easily listed his name among the top-50 players in the OWGR.
After a disappointing performance in the final round, he commented on his performance at the PGA Tour website stating:
"I still hit the ball well. I didn’t have my putting touch today and that was the difference. I was a little tentative again and the wind didn’t help too much on the greens either".
He continued, "I’m pleased with my ball striking, but again on the greens, I was awful".
He added, "But it was bittersweet there again. I had a lot of chances today, and you know, I kind of blew it a little bit. I wasn’t good on the greens, and that’s the disappointing thing".
He has now reached the Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Texas, where a win is necessary in order to earn the Masters spot.
“The deal is you’ve got to qualify for the Masters – all the players know that,” Els said.
According to Els, he is currently struggling with the final round finishes, as he faltered in both the Arnold Palmer Invitational as well as in the Transitions Championship.
He had an easy chance of winning the Transitions when he had a one-stroke lead with two holes to go in the final round.
However, he made two consecutive bogeys to blow his chances of a win and stood fifth on the leaderboard.
Els has, no doubt, the ability to outclass his opponents in any tournament he plays. However, he needs to be consistent and hold on to his nerves when he is playing the final round.
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