Should Ernie Els get a Masters invitation?
Ernie Els is not in the field of the Masters, for being ranked outside the top-50 players. Should he be given an exception for the major scheduled to be staged at the Augusta National Golf Club?
The 42-year-old South African professional golf player is in danger, as his appearance at the Masters is at risk. There are very less chances left for him to qualify for the first major of the year.
It was 1994, when Els displayed his debut performance at the Masters. Since then, he has not missed any of the major tournaments due to low ranking.
He won three major titles in the past and finished 28 times in the top-10 on the leaderboard. He proudly recorded the glory of the US Open in 1994 and 1997. Similarly, he also won The Open Championship in 2002.
His performance at the major tournaments was amazing. On the other hand, he also won 64 professional events, 18 times on the PGA, 26 European Tour victories and 16 wins on the Sunshine Tour.
In the current year, Els played four tournaments on the PGA and one at World Golf Championships. He faced difficulty scoring on some of the holes and could not finish on top of the leaderboard.
He is currently ranked 62nd, due largely to mediocre performances since January. Analysts have also pointed out that his ranking and the winless season are the reasons for not receiving the invitation for the event.
Els nearly won the title of the Transitions Championship on March 18. He played well throughout the four days, but the competition was tough and most of the professionals scored better than he did.
He finished tied for the 5th position at the end of the day, whereas Luke Donald won the title in the play-off and beat him by one stroke.
Els was shocked and angry over his loss. It was a great opportunity for him to qualify for the Masters, but he was unable to impress the officials.
“I was so hot I found it difficult to even think straight,” Els said.
“I’ve had a night to sleep on it, though. It still hurts the way I finished the tournament, but I know in my heart how well I played well week. I have to believe that if I keep doing what I’m doing, the results will reflect that and I’ll give myself plenty
more opportunities to win”.
Now if we look at the other part of the story, which is related to the Japanese golf player, then it is clearly visible that the officials issued a special invitation to Ryo Ishikawa.
He was also not in the top-50 golfers of the world, but received an invitation from the Masters officials. If we compare both the players, Els is on a potential lead for winning several titles than Ishikawa.
If the 20-year-old Japanese is eligible to play, then why not Els?
This may be a horrible fact for the experienced player to see a young lad in the Masters field by earning an exception, whereas he is still hoping to play.
However, there is no time left for comparison or criticism. Still, there are two solid chances left for the South African to qualify for the first major of the year.
He can impress the officials at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Shell Houston Open. If he wins, no one can dare to stop him from playing the major.
With two more chances for the star, eyes are on the Masters now. Els has to win and put a smile back on his and fans' faces.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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