Ernie Els Gets a Slap on the Wrist
Earlier today I published a short commentary for SB Nation on Ernie Els' recent expletive-laced outburst following his third round at Europe's BMW Championship. Turns out Ernie was a little ticked-off at the condition of the course's greens that morning, stating that they weren't watered enough and were therefore too hard to hold approach shots onto the putting surface. Basically, players were hitting golf balls onto greens that were more like cement than grass. So Ernie got pissed and let a few people know about it. He later apologized like the gentleman he is, and even made a "substantial donation" to some fund where donations were needed, apparently. So what's the big deal?
Frankly, I feel professional golfers shouldn't have to apologize for complaining about the condition of a course or for calling out people who aren't doing their jobs. I wasn't at the BMW Championship at Wentworth, nor am I a professional greenskeeper; but is it too much to ask that a golf course can play similarly one day to the next, at least in terms of what conditions can be controlled (green conditions, rough height, fairway length, etc.)?
With all the variables in nature that can change the way a course plays from one day to the next, watering greens should be as simple as... well, pouring water onto grass. I feel Ernie had a point.