HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Ernie Els isn’t going to play much on the PGA Tour this year.
Maybe he should.
The Big Easy – who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011 – was a prominent fixture on the first page of the leaderboard Thursday in the first round of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links.
He was sailing right along on this seaside resort without a bogey on his card before his stumbled by missing a 3-footer on the 17th hole. Still, Els turned in a 4-under-par 67 and stood three shots out of the lead.
“I’ve been playing a lot at home, but under tournament conditions, you know, not quite,” Els said. “I’ve shot some good numbers. The last time I played, I played quite well on the Champions Tour, so I need to keep thinking about that.
“But it was really nice to shoot something under 70. Really, really nice.”
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Played quite well on the Champions Tour? He won the tournament, the Hoag Classic in California, the first week in March, his first title on the senior circuit.
“It was really a nice thrill for me to win a tournament again and definitely gave me a bit of momentum,” Els said.
Forgive him if at any time in Thursday’s round he thought he was playing the PGA Tour Champions. At 50, he was the youngest member of the threesome. World Golf Hall of Fame member Bernhard Langer (inducted in 2002) was the oldest at 62, World Golf Hall of Fame member Vijay Singh (2006) in the middle at 57. Between them, the three have won 56 PGA Tour titles, 72 European Tour titles and nine majors.
“I’ll play most of my golf on the Champions. I really like it out there,” Els sad. “I think I’ve done what I could out here on the regular Tour. I will play every now and again if I get in the field on past champions or something like that. I’ll play some select events, but mostly on the Champions Tour.”
