Ernie Els Displays True Sportsmanship to Help Rival Make Golfing History
South African golfer Ernie Els set aside protocol during the British Open on Thursday to show true sportsmanship and allow his longtime rival, Phil Mickelson from the USA, the best possible chance to make history. They were on the 18th green at Royal Troon in Scotland, and Mickelson – who already had eight birdies – had […]
South African golfer Ernie Els set aside protocol during the British Open on Thursday to show true sportsmanship and allow his longtime rival, Phil Mickelson from the USA, the best possible chance to make history.
They were on the 18th green at Royal Troon in Scotland, and Mickelson – who already had eight birdies – had the chance with one more birdie to become the first golfer in the world to shoot a round of just 62 in a major championship.
The two sportsmen, who are both 46, have shared memories since they were 14 and competed in a world junior championship. But although both were hungry for the British Open title this week, the Big Easy (as Els is known) realised the golden opportunity Mickelson had to make history and chose to putt out of order.
According to golf protocol Els should have putted last as he was closest to the hole, but instead he told Mickelson he would putt after England’s Lee Westwood, in order to let Mickelson putt last so that the American could take all the time he needed to ensure he got the birdie.
Els’ amazing sportsmanship caught the attention of the New York Times which wrote: “Sometimes, even in the high-stakes modern era of sports, when a once straightforward contest can instead seem like a clash of multimillionaires and their entrepreneurial brands, the basic elements of sportsmanship can rise above all else. For an intense, riveting few minutes on Thursday afternoon, Ernie Els wanted to see the first 62 in a major golf championship almost as much as Phil Mickelson did.”
According to the Times, Els said to Mickelson: “Come on, buddy, you’ve got to shoot 62. You can do it.”
Els said: “Phil said to me: ‘Are you sure? Are you sure?’ And I said: ‘Yeah, sure. Let me go first and you take your time.’
“I mean, how many times do you get the chance to shoot 62 in a major?”
Unfortunately Els’ kind gesture didn’t pay off… and Mickelson’s ball lipped out. (Watch below.)
Mickelson said of Els afterwards: “We’ve had a lot of moments that we’ve shared together, and that was another one that was really fun. He’s a special guy.”
Mickelson is currently sitting second, behind Henrik Stenson of Sweden, on the Leaderboard. Els who said earlier this week that “The Open stands above all others as my favourite tournament of the year” unfortunately didn’t make the cut. South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel is in tied ninth place.
Watch Video: Phil Mickelson Misses a 62 at 2016 Open Championship
https://youtu.be/i0gk0x8KfpQ