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MASTERS TOURNAMENTApril 6, 2017Ernie ElsAugusta, Georgia Q. Heck of a lot different than a year ago. It must feel good to know you're in contention after today. ERNIE ELS: Yeah, I know. Obviously, you will take a 72 today in these conditions. Obviously, after what happened last year, it was quite difficult. And I was hoping for an easier day. But I played good golf on the back nine and I got to keep doing what I did. We are going to be absolutely exhausted by the end of this week, if this weather keeps up. This is some of the toughest conditions I ever played in. So we'll see how it goes. Q. How did you do so well in it? What were you doing well today? ERNIE ELS: I'm kind of a linksy, I wouldn't say a specialist, but I like to play linksy golf and I kind of played the same shots today. The greens were quite receptive because of the rain, so you could play that low shot. Normally, Augusta National doesn't receive that low shot, but today it did. I just kept doing that and got my driver in the fairway a lot of times, so just kind of played solid on the back nine. Q. All the talk about Jordan and 12 last year, but when you walked off of 1, did you feel like you had exorcized a ghost of some kind? ERNIE ELS: Yeah. Yeah, I did. I had a little small one again and I was really nervous on the tee, so it's nice to get that one in and kind of get going. But then I bogeyed 2, so. (Laughter.) Q.Lost your focus. ERNIE ELS: Yeah, lost my focus. But, no, obviously, you play around here and you get yourself in contentions, a lot of times it's going to come off and a lot of times it's not going to come off and you have to take the good with the bad. And the good is really unbelievably good here and the bad is just as bad here. So, you got to be tough. Q. Is that what clicked in for you on 15, 16, 17? ERNIE ELS: I hit shots. I hit shots and just tried to hit as good a shot as I could. And the putts went in. If I don't make the putts, I wouldn't be standing here. So, you got to finish those shots off. Q. How much of your family is here? ERNIE ELS: Really not ‑‑ my wife is obviously here. My daughter, she's getting ready for college, so she couldn't come up. But I've got a lot of friends here. A lot of really close friends from George, South Africa, and a lot of guys I've known for 30 odd years, really good friends. And they're here, they're walking around, and having a good time. Q. The thought that this might be your last, is that in your head while you're playing? ERNIE ELS: Well, I've had 23 goes, that's enough. Q. One more? ERNIE ELS: Well, yeah, I would like one more. But if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I've had a great time. The members, the people have been so kind to us. And as I say, if you can't win it in 23 tries, then maybe you should try something else. Q. Phil said that mentioned you and put you up there and said one of the greats probably and possibly not to have ever won. ERNIE ELS: Well, thanks for that. I heard about that. And he's a good friend of mine and, obviously, Phil was one of the guys who beat me down, you know, and he did his part. But, obviously, really it was just the start of his great run and it was almost like my run came to an end when he started. So it is what it is. One guy's ecstasy is another guy's, you know, whatever you call it. Agony. Agony. Q. Off the track question, do you guys even notice when the azaleas aren't out and they're not colorful and blooming? ERNIE ELS: Yeah, we saw it down 6 tee today. Actually a youngster showed me, Bernd Wiesberger, he kind of showed me that where the azaleas, they must have had a freeze here last week or the week before. Q. You guys miss that when you don't see it? ERNIE ELS: Absolutely. Miss the smell. Q. When you were here, when you didn't play here in 2012, did you think you were done here and then you turn around and won the Open Championship? ERNIE ELS: No, I didn't think I was done in 2012, I was still a young man. So, no, I always felt I could win, but at 47, we're getting on now, so we'll see. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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