Ernie Els ends cuts-missed streak thanks to a tip and a compliment

 

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Ernie Els showed up at Bay Hill having missed the cut in four consecutive tournaments, the longest such streak of his career since 1993 when he missed the cut at the Honda Classic, Bay Hill, the Players Championship and the Benson & Hedges Open in England.

 

The streak stopped at four. Els not only made the cut, he tied for 13th.

 

''My boys are giving me so much (grief),'' Els said. '''You've got a nice job, weekends off.' I said to them, 'I'm not getting paid.'''

 

Els felt as if he was on the right path, and part of that was helped by running into Larry Rinker, who reminded the Big Easy of his Hall of Fame career and even offered a putting tip that seemed to have worked.

 

''It was nice to hear a fellow player compliment you a bit,'' Els said. ''We go back to the early '90s. We played a lot of golf together. He remembers me as a good putter. He said, 'You are a good putter.' We looked at tape the other day before I went to Tampa, and he saw it immediately. My left hand was too weak.''

 

Els needed all the birdies he could muster at Bay Hill, scratching out a 72 in the third round despite being 4 over through six holes. His closing 68 gave him his best finish on the PGA Tour since he tied for fifth at The Barclays and should at least give him some positive feelings heading into the Shell Houston Open and then the Masters.

 

That he ended the streak at Bay Hill was appropriate on at least one level. Els and Arnold Palmer go back more than 20 years. They first met at Bellerive for the 1992 PGA Championship.

 

''He's a man of his word,'' Els said. ''He said he liked my game and I would have a spot in his tournament. I came here in '93 and played with him. He made the cut and I missed the cut. And we've been friends ever since.''

 

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