JOIN USFour-time Major winner Ernie Els of South Africa will revert to the short putter at the inaugural USD 750,000 Chiangmai Golf Classic starting here on Thursday as he seeks his first title of the current season.
“I’ll be using the short putter. But even if I won here this week, I will use the belly putter at the Masters simply because the greens are so quick over there. But after the Masters, I’ll try to use the short putter more regularly,” said Els, who switched to the long putter at the end of 2011.
The reigning British Open champion headlines the full-field Asian Tour event alongside Asia’s first Major winner YE Yang of Korea, New Zealand’s Michael Campbell and the region’s top players including last week’s winner Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Thongchai Jaidee, Arnond Vongvanij, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri at the immaculate Alpine Golf Resort-Chiangmai presented by PTT.
Els, nicknamed the Big Easy for his languid swing and easy-going nature, has been frustrated by his lack of success during the first quarter of the year.