Els in contention in Dubai as he tries to overcome the putting yips
Ernie Els may have found an answer for the yips.
Els is tied for second place after two rounds of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, trailing Rafa Cabrera-Bello by a shot heading into the week in the United Arab Emirates.
The four-time major champion’s struggles with the putter have been the stuff of social-media fodder in recent months, with painful video after painful video of Els missing straight-in putts from inside of 2 feet playing on an unending loop. After another yip incident to start the year, Els decided to make a change in desperation. He went to the cross-handed grip, and it seems to be paying dividends.
“I’m falling in love on the greens again,” Els said. “I’m not dreading the greens. That’s where I’ve been for the last two or three years since I won the Open Championship [with a belly putter in 2012]. I feel very different. I feel like, you know, I don’t mind making a 2-footer or a 4-footer.”
Els admitted that the yips had been making him consider giving up the game.
“When you can’t make … you saw some of those putts, that’s just end-of-career stuff,” he said. “I just want to enjoy it again. That’s what I said to my wife: I just want to enjoy it, I don’t care if I never win again. I need to enjoy it, otherwise might as well do something else.”
Now Els has an opportunity in the Saturday final group to build on his first two rounds and give himself a chance at his first worldwide win since 2013. Perhaps sinking as low as he has, down to 205th in the world ranking, will give him a renewed appreciation for the opportunity in front of him.
“I’ve been in some holes,” he said, “but this one was a pretty deep, dark one. To get out of this one was quite nice.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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