AUGUSTA, Ga. -- After lagging a nice putt to within short range on the first hole Thursday, Ernie Els admitted that the demons momentarily returned. Someone suggested it might be like exorcising a ghost, and Els concurred.
A year ago at Augusta National, Els described it as "snakes in my head'' when he embarrassingly needed six putts on the first green in the first round after missing a relatively short one to start it off.
He had 3 feet left for par during the opening round of the 2017 Masters.
"I had a little small one again,'' Els said. "I was really nervous over that one. It was nice to get that one in and kind of get going.''
Of course, Els followed that par with a bogey at the par-5 second and made two more to turn in 39. Then he rallied on the back nine with birdies at the 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th to get to 1 under before a final-hole bogey dropped to him even-par 72.
Even so, on a cold, blustery day, Els, 47, was thrilled. And it was so much different than a horrendous start a year ago, which saw him make the highest score in Masters history at the first -- a 9 -- on his way to a score of 80.
"We are going to be absolutely exhausted by the end of the week if this weather keeps up. This is some of the toughest conditions I've ever played in." Ernie Els
"Obviously I'll take a 72 today in these conditions,'' said Els, who trails first-round leader Charley Hoffman by 7 and is in a tie for 12th. "And after what happened last year, it was quite different. I was hoping for an easier day. I played good golf on the back nine and you've got to keep doing what you are doing.
"We are going to be absolutely exhausted by the end of the week if this weather keeps up. This is some of the toughest conditions I've ever played in. We'll see how it goes.''
Els hit 11 of 18 greens, a strong showing in such blustery wind. He also didn't have a single 3-putt and managed to make four birdies. But of the seven greens he missed, Els saved par only three times.
"I wouldn't say I'm a links specialist, but I like to play linksy golf,'' said Els, who won The Open in 2002 and 2012 and has four major titles among his 19 PGA Tour victories. "You had to play some of those shots today. The greens were quite receptive because of the rain, so you can play a low shot in there. Normally Augusta National doesn't receive that low shot; today it did. And I just kept doing that. I hit my driver in the fairway a lot of times and played solid on the back nine.''
Els is playing what could be his final Masters. He is here based on his victory at the 2012 Open, which came with a five-year exemption.
Barring a resurgence the rest of this season that sees him finish among the top 30 in the FedEx Cup or among the top 50 in the world, Els won't return to the Masters in 2018. He has hovered outside the top 200 in the world rankings for most of the past six months, so his best bet to return a year from now might to be finishing among the top 12 this week.
"I'd like one more, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen,'' Els said. "We've had a great time. If you haven't won it in 23 goes, maybe you should try something else.''