Huggan and Els

John Huggan talks to “mental coach” Jos Vanstiphout and has an exclusive chat with Ernie Els about the state of his game, his future, and the state of pro golf. Just some of the comments from Els in this must read story for Els fans:

"All it would take now is for the European Tour to start playing for $4 million. That would lead to serious problems for the PGA Tour. You’d see a lot of the leading non-Americans outside the States more. I think that (PGA Tour commissioner) Tim Finchem has cause to be mildly concerned at the moment."

"I’ve never been a fan of the way too many courses are set up on the PGA Tour," he contends. "They need more courses that play firmer and faster, especially around the greens. You don’t need all that rough close to the edges. Let’s get the ball to run away from the putting surfaces. That would force the guys to really play shots and not just mindlessly lob the ball up in the air all the time. So I want to see more firm, fast conditions. If we did, the scores would go up a little. Not ridiculous like Shinnecock Hills was in last year’s US Open, but just a little firmer so that when you hit a 7-iron to the green you have to hit a solid shot and get a little grip on the ball. That allows you to hit a greater variety of shots too. You can make up your own mind. Too often these days the hole tells you what shot to hit rather than you telling the hole. It’s backward.

"Unfortunately - and I don’t want to sound too critical - the PGA Tour is about to negotiate new television contracts. The network people want the game to look ‘attractive’; they want it to be all nice and green for the viewers; they want the guys to make a lot of birdies. For them, that’s entertainment. But for real golfers, the purists, the traditionalists, conditions need to be a little firmer, a little faster.

"The bottom line is that I’m bored watching so many guys playing the exact same shots all the time. The game has lost some of its imagination. Too often these days it’s all about brute force and throwing darts. You can be drawing a 5-iron to the green and catch it a bit thin and it will still stay on the green. But if that green had been firm instead of soft that ball would run 20 yards over the green. That’s what real golf is all about."

"I want it to be more than just hammering away from the tee. I want it to be more interesting than it has been lately. I’m not a basher or a banger. I want to play proper golf.

The ball is where it is, as is technology. But as a spokesman for Titleist, I can’t say that technology is bad. It has been good for my game. I use what I think is the best equipment. The ball is brilliant. I’m flying the ball almost 300 yards now and that is all down to equipment and technology. So it has really helped me. I do see the USGA and the R&A talking more about the implications of it all. That is good. I don’t think we will be making the big leaps we have seen over the last ten years or so. I can’t see the ball going more than a couple more yards. We’re nearly at the limit now. That’s what I think anyway.

Els discloses his relationship with Titleist, voices an opinion (it's "all down to equipment and technology" ), and doesn't lose credibility because of his honesty. What a concept.