Theo

The one thing I have always promised about this blog is that I would always be honest.

The problem with being honest is that you don’t always like what you write.

There have been many people surrounding golf who think that Ernie Els should get an invitation to the Masters.

Now Ernie has always been one of my favourite golfers, he always will be.

I was there when he won the Open Championship in 2002 at Muirfield, I stalked him round Carnoustie in 2007 to get an autograph, I am a fan.

But would I hand him an invitation to Augusta ? To be honest no.

If Ernie had not won the Open Championship or the US Open would he get a special invite to those ? Afraid to say the answer would be no.

Now admittedly you have the option of trying to qualify for both Opens, not an option you have for the Masters.

Should Ernie be in any field in front of Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Craig Stadler, Larry Mize etc, then the answer is a resounding yes, but then again so should many more, Paul Lawrie, Brenden Grace, Robert Rock and Matteo Manassro to name a few more deserving and how about Reteif Goosen??

No one player has the right to play in a major he has not won, have they?


But then again why should you be allowed to play in a major when your only qualification was winning it 20 odd years ago?

Its well documented that I have a major issue with any major being purely invitational with no qualifying event, its simply not right.

Ben Crenshaw is ranked 1,427th in the world, as is Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam and Larry Mize. Does that make any sense at all ?? I don’t think so.

Surely if you drop outside the top 500 of the world you should lose the right to take a place in a major tournament from an up and coming youngster ?

There is a huge difference in someone ranked in 500th place and qualifying for a tournament as opposed to someone being handed it to them.

Maybe the campaign should not be for Ernie to get an invite but for Masters but for qualification for the Masters to be over hauled ?

I think it does.

For me a true major should be open for everyone, why cant the Masters organise a qualifying event?

Is the Masters a brilliant event ? Yes

Is Augusta a stunning course ? Yes

But this is the 21st century and maybe its time the Masters was pulled into it.


I am all for fans being called patrons if that’s what they want, I am not anti traditionalist. I simply want to see Major tournaments have a uniformed qualification process.

If there was a qualifying tournament then we may have seen Ernie compete at Augusta this year, we may still see him if he wins at Bay Hill, but an invitation? I think not.