Throughout the career of Ernie Els, there has always been one man in his way. At the 2019 Presidents Cup, Els will look to avoid another second-place finish to Tiger Woods.
As we approach the 2019 Presidents Cup, there has been a lot of focus on the Team USA Captain. Rightfully so, as he is one of the greatest golfers of all-time. The International Team Captain shouldn’t be overlooked though, as he is pretty good in his own right.
Ernie Els has had quite a career. Now 50, his best years are behind him. That doesn’t mean we should kick him to the curb, as he will look to take down someone who has topped him over and over throughout the years.
Els has finished 2nd to Tiger Woods in an astonishing seven times, four of which came in Major Championships. Two of those were in 2000, including Woods’s dominance at the U.S. Open.
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If not for Woods, Els would possibly have eight majors, and be regarded as one of the greatest golfers to ever tee it up. Then again, there are a handful of people who could say that. Like anyone who played in the NBA in the ’90s, it’s hard to get a title when the GOAT is around.
The main difference in this upcoming matchup between the two will be that Els isn’t directly going to be a part of it. Unlike Tiger, Els will not be playing. It’s not going to be easy for Ernie Els and the squad that he has put together.
The USA Team is quite strong. So strong, in fact, that all 12 players are ranked in the top 23 in the world. The International team only has two players ranked that high. Adam Scott is 18th, and Hideki Matsuyama is 21st. Oddsmakers favor Team USA as well, and quite strongly at that. Our friends over at the Action Network actually have Team USA as -400 favorites, meaning that in order to win 100 dollars, you would need to bet 400 on them.
It’s not going to be easy for Els and his squad to overcome Team USA. One of the bright spots that could bode well for him? The fact that the tournament is being played at Royal Melbourne, and that the USA team just took a 26 hour plane ride to get there. Not only that, but Royal Melbourne is a course that Els is intimately familiar with. He actually holds the course record there, once shooting 60.
Things are going to need to go their way in order for them to pull the upset, allthough there is a path for it to happen. Although he won’t be playing as previously mentioned, perhaps he will be able to impart some of that course knowledge to his team. From the looks of the matchup, they are going to need it.