Early Sunday morning, seven hours before the leaders reached the back nine and the tournament really started, Ernie Els started what will likely be his last round at the Masters. For the last five years Els has qualified automatically because he won the Open in 2012. The exemption is about to run out and, given that Els is 47, is currently ranked No410 in the world and has missed the cut in nine of his last 10 tournaments, he may struggle to find a way back. Time was when Els would have had a late afternoon tee-time himself on Sunday. Between 2000 and 2004, he finished second, sixth, fifth, sixth, and second again, a perennial contender who never quite got it done. Now, he says he’s been “trying to look around” as he plays, “just in case this is the last one”.
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