(REUTERS)-Winless on the US PGA Tour this season, three-times Major champion Ernie Els was once again left to rue erratic putting after he tied for fourth at the Frys.com Open on Sunday.
The smooth-swinging South African, who used a belly putter at Corde Valle Golf Club this week after mainly struggling on the greens in recent years, briefly held a share of the lead early in Sunday’s final round before slipping back.
“I’m a little disappointed because I feel I played good enough to maybe be in the playoff,” Els told reporters after totalling 29 putts and posting a 14-under total of 270, three shy of going into extra holes for the title.
“I thought I hit some good putts. Nine was quite a crucial one,” he said of his six-foot attempt for birdie which horseshoed out of the cup. “I lipped out and then I missed another short one on 10. I made a lot of good putts throughout the week, but I just feel if I want to get to that next level I want to get to, I gotta start making those putts when I need them. I did that when I won, so I know what to do.”
An 18-times winner on the PGA Tour, Els has not triumphed on the US circuit since the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational and he had struggled this season with a best finish of joint 15th in his previous 20 starts.
“I have changed a lot of things and I feel that the work I’ve put in is starting to come through,” said Els, who has reunited with his long-time caddie Ricci Roberts and also changed management companies.
“I’m starting to feel comfortable on the things I’ve been working on. This week, I think we’ve made some progress, even though we’ve came up short. The wheels are starting to turn now.”
Els, who decided to compete in this week’s second-tier Fall Series event in a bid to regain form and also to help out one of his corporate sponsors, only gave up on his title bid after the penultimate hole.
“Even on 17, I thought I still had a chance, but then Briny (Baird) chipped it in for eagle, and that was that. I thought maybe if I could sneak an eagle there and then birdie the 18th, I could get into a playoff. You kind of never give up until the end, but when he made eagle, it was done “the 41-year-old South African, popularly known as the ‘Big Easy’, said after closing with a three-under 68.
Baird ended up losing the playoff to fellow American Bryce Molder on the sixth extra hole.