Today's thought:
What's Ernie Els doing? Saw him on the Golf Digest cover of November, 2002 with the title "Raise Your Game". ow appropriate, it's easy to say now after seeing him win 4 tournaments and almost decimate the field at the Johnnie Walker. Here's some info on Ernie's supercharged game right now. New ball, distance, mental approach...what else? Comments?
http://www.iseekgolf.com/view_articles.php/862/15/1352/3/7/153/1/

How do you keep finding superlatives for Ernie Els? His ten shot win in the AUD$2.85 million Johnnie Walker Classic at the Lake Karrinyup Golf Club in Perth was his second win in the event, the previous win coming at Hope Island in 1997, however comparing Ernie Els in 2003 verses the Ernie Els in 1997, is hardly worth the excercise.

This is a man who now openly admits he is playing at his very best ever. As he indicated in his post round interview, he has perhaps at times hit the ball, as well, if not better, but it is his overall game that is now so good. He is putting the scores on the board, in addition to striking the ball sureperbly and is therefore, he believes, playing better than ever.

He was quick to praise his support team, including his coach David Leadbetter, his caddy Ricci, his wife and family and the man who has made him believe what we all knew, Jos Vantisphout, his sports psychologist.

Els has raced a long way ahead of any others in the pursuit of Tiger Woods, however, the next few weeks will tell quite a story as to how close the gap between he and the world number one has narrowed. Events like the Accenture Match Play which, should they win all matches leading into the final will see them pitted against each other over 36 holes, will answer questions already being asked but it will be Augusta where the real litmus test will come.

Els is class with a capital C. He is not only one of the finest players of the modern era but it is his preparedness to work closely with the media and, even though he is well paid to do so, support events around the world that make him such a popular figure in the game.

Clearly the new ball he is now using makes a difference but so do the many other things on which he has been working to take his game to a new level. He is now in the category of Daly in terms of distances, he can hit the ball but yet with far greater control and importantly the discretion as to when he wants to use it.

Halfway through the second round, when he trailed Robert Allenby and David Lynn by three shots, it was almost as if he found another gear when he reeled off a back nine of 29 and repeated the dose the following day to leave them gasping in his wake.

There were many other fine performances, other than the obvious, on a golf course that is a far greater test than the numbers would suggest.