Congrats to Ernie Els on his record-breaking win in the World Match Play this afternoon. Els is a great golfer who is as affable as he is talented. I’m with Seve when he reckons “there’s no better player or better guy” to beat his and Gary Player’s previous Match Play record.
For those who aren’t into golf, watching matchplay golf can be more exciting than medal play. The Ryder cup this year was electrifying and there has been some terrific golf at Wentworth this year. First Bernhard Langer bumps the world number one, Vijay Singh, out on Friday only for him to be pipped by John Wark-lookalike Jimenez in the quarter-finals.
Matchplay demands guts and improvisation, which is one of the reasons why Ballesteros excelled, but I wonder whether Padraig Harrington should have thought twice before trying the shot which resulted in him smashing his hand against a tree on the follow-through. Ouch! As a result, “it felt I was hitting with a shovel rather than a golf club.” No surprise then that Els put Harrington out in the semis. Golf is a difficult enough game without having to play with your hand covered in Elastoplasts.