If anyone understands the full depth to do with Tiger Woods’ greatness, it really is Ernie Els.

Els, the 52-year-old Down African, has been one of golf’s great stars for the better component of Woods’ career. His 19 PGA Tour wins and four foremost championships make him one of the preeminent sharks of his era — and one of Woods’ incredibly good sparring partners.

Of course , those numbers ‘re dwarfed by Tiger’s 82 professional wins and short minutes major championships, and perhaps far diminished anticipated Woods’ 82 wins and 15 premier. But as the Big Easy tips his post-playing career, your ex holds no resentment towards Tiger’s dominance , even if this kind of came at Els’ get expense.

“What an experience, right? ” Els told hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz upon the week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar. “Colt, you’ve enjoyed in the Tiger era. Those actions gets me the most, the separated Tiger from every one of us, the one real factor, has his intensity on the at the outset tee. ”

As Els sees this tool, there were always players who all approached Tiger’s level of credential, but the real differentiator — the thing that made Tiger Tiger — was his more competitve spirit.

So that as for proof? Els blurts out to look no further than the primarily five holes of pretty much any round of golf.

“You know, you just want to get in the round, check out the waters of contest. A lot of us are like that, however it Tiger? He was different, ” Els said. “On primary tee, he was ready to go. having been ready to absolutely strangle the type of golf course and then get to area eventually and really take down most of the tournament. ”

That perspective changed boot camp Tiger approached competition, maintained your body changed the way his enemies viewed themselves.

“He wasn’t there so that it will mess around. He didn’t playtime too many events, but when afterwards played, he was ready to go,, ” Els said. “His warm on the practice putting brown, he was absolutely focused on the dog’s job, and that is one thing where separated him then whilst still being separates him today. Be assured just feel his aura to compete. ”

After a quarter-century using golf, Els considers themself fortunate to have witnessed Tiger’s greatness from spitting distance between your dog and the dumbbell. And if that greatness originated at Els’ expense vis victories, it certainly didn’t affect him financially.

“If Tiger was not around, I definitely could possibly have won more golf tourneys, but I wouldn’t have made as much money, ” Els says. “When I got when Tour, Corey Pavin was the first guy to enlighten a million dollars in a season, time, look where it’s missing. When Tiger came in into ’97, we were still down there at the 2 million label in purse, and bruit, it just exploded. The world arrived, and the PGA Tour just simply went from strength so that you strength. And so yeah, the person put a lot of money into people’s pockets. ”

That is a big chunk associated what makes it easy for Ernie Els to say he’s gracious for Tiger Woods. His circumstances and his career are best for Tiger existing, whether or not you however ever-so-often, his psyche been through.

“His pursuit of receiving, his pursuit of excellence in your own event, ” Els stated that. “There were tournaments just where we played the first number of rounds together, and then our company played the last two coups together. To go right into that 72nd hole competing towards him, it takes a lot not in you…

This guy was just a freakin’ computer system, ” Els continued. “He still is. When he plays, he’s there to win. ”

And that, Els says, is the one universal truth of Tiger Woods’ greatness.

“With injuries, he’s half the man he was. But he’s all-around, and he’s going to discover a way to try to beat you relating to the course, ” Els says. “What a guy, and what a period of time to try to beat him. ”

James Colgan

Golf. por Editor

Fred Colgan is an assistant editing program at GOLF, contributing guides for the website and article on a broad range of subject as. He writes the Hot Microphone, GOLF’s weekly media steering column, and utilizes his transmitted experience across the brand’s web 2 . and video platforms. The perfect 2019 graduate of Syracuse University, James — as evidently, his golf game — is still defrosting from have a look at years in the snow, where he cut his teeth into NFL Films, CBS Announcement and Fox Sports. Prior to when joining GOLF, James was a caddie scholarship recipient (and astute looper) on Longisland, where he is from.