Ernie Els: It pains me to praise Tiger Woods

Ernie Els discusses his rivalry and mutual respect with Tiger Woods and shares a story of the time Tiger sought Ernie’s opinion on whether or not he should turn pro. Plus, Ernie reflects on the his public disagreements with Tiger in the past and how they’ve worked through them.
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Episode debuted nationwide in 2011.
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[@donaldblanks118]

Ernie Els is a class guy! My son is a PGA Tour player and lost the Canadian Open in a playoff a few years ago. I was with him at his next Tour event. When we walked out on the range Ernie Els hollered at him to “come here”. We walked over and Els gave him a bear hug and lifted him off the ground and said “you time will come...you will win a PGA Tour event”. That is a moment in my life that I will take to my grave. To have someone of Ernie Els’ stature in golf to say that about your son is really special to a Dad. I’m an Ernie Els fan for life!

[@phxmaster9684]

Kris

[@KayMall182]

You’re son will never win an event on the pga tour

[@derekhoude1514]

@JacksonsGuilty that was a bit rough. Don't Even know the guy but hopefully you'll eat your words

[@ChandlerTingle]

@@KayMall182you seem like a ray of sunshine

[@JamminWithJer]

Is your son still playing golf?

[@bokehintheussr5033]

He didn't say that it pains him to praise Tiger Woods, he said it pains him to admit that Tiger was too good to compete against... there's a big difference between those two statements.

[@tomlynch7097]

click click

[@joelsimms4636]

Ernie Ells is a class act. Genuinely a humble and kind man. I have much respect for him.

[@vivaanignacio9363]

you probably dont give a shit but if you are bored like me atm you can watch all the latest movies and series on instaflixxer. Have been binge watching with my brother lately xD

[@marvinrodney7543]

@Vivaan Ignacio definitely, I have been watching on instaflixxer for since december myself :D

[@shahrul1962]

Respect Ernie Els....class act, world class golfer and ambassador for the golf fraternity. Speaks well of everyone, and good role model for golf.

[@jeremy.fordavon4030]

A number of years back, we were at the Bay Hill when Sergio, Ernie, Tiger, Phil, Vijay and Retief were the top 6 in the world. Ernie was by a land slide the easiest to approach during the practice round. He waved us under the ropes between green and the next tee, chatted with us and signed our hats. It was awesome. Sergio was the next friendliest and then Vijay. Sergio was cool and Vijay was professional. What a great day it was to walk along side those three.

[@ps2beck]

Met Ernie at the Torrey Pines US Open in 2008. My dad and I approached him the parking lot after he finished his round and was heading to his room. Said he was tired but still stopped to have a nice chat with us and sign some stuff. The dude was huge! Shook his hand and my hand disappeared. Real stand up guy. Best swing in golf. Also had the pleasure of meeting Freddy Couples who was equally as humble and down to Earth a guy. It's no coincidence the two classiest people on tour have the smoothest swings in golf.

[@johnryan8905]

mb bm ii

[@bigkiwial]

KT fuck off, we all earn with our hands, try doing your job without them!!

[@raymanbert8350]

Ernie Els beside being an excellent.golfer iis more importantly a great person!!. And that folks is the bottom line!!

[@jodeeb.6496]

We walked with Erie and Tiger at the Western in Chicago once. Both were so friendly and really great guys. It rained and many left, we didn't and that's how we got the privilege of walking with these two giants. I'll never forget it.

[@MyBelch]

I interviewed Els at the 1993 Dunlop Phoenix Open, as a reporter for Pacific Stars and Stripes in Miyazaki, Japan. That day, he became my favorite pro and has remained so to this day.

[@larrylund2682]

Ernie is a man of good principals. Always liked him. Loved watching him play golf.

[@mattplyler12]

Ernie Els is just a good dude. Through and through.

[@juice3185]

Trying to discredit The Big E with this bs headline....seriously 😠

[@runJFK]

Agree, that headline doesn't describe what EE said at all.

[@pozmarciv]

The way I interpret "The Big Easy" was hes an easy going guy and his swing looks so easy ..Silky Smooth

[@Jamthecoolerator]

Wtf are you talking about? Els literally says just that at 0:46! He's not trying to "discredit" him.

[@daystar73]

Rather accurate. Lol

[@Divisiononebasketball]

Fabz you’re so right. Give me a break with that clickbait headline. Els is and will always be a class act.

[@23v0lv32]

Ernie Els is one of the greatest of all times!!! one of the best swings in history!

[@ewanmacfarlane9195]

Not one of the greatest . beautiful swing no doubt.Very good player.But you could pick 30 guys ahead of him.

[@robertcourt8593]

I think tigers dominance actually got into ernies head back in the day. Without tiger I think Ernie would have won a lot more majors. That's all heresay though and the records show what they show. I'd definitely like to be 20 bucks behind Ernie in the bank!

[@johnsmith42688]

Definitely not...great golfer but not in the top 10 or top 20 even

[@ironmike5812]

Well there’s less than 20 guys with more majors and even fewer than that with more worldwide wins and he won all those during Tiger’s prime. Maybe he’s not top 10 but saying you can name 30 guys better is just not true

[@douglasdejager8450]

​@@ewanmacfarlane9195 he's won 4 majors. You can't pick 30 guys who have. Think again.

[@smookey187]

Ernie at his peak was a magnificent golfer. Shame he never won the Masters.

[@clydeletreta6325]

In my book, both Tiger and Ernie fed off of each other to give us, the fans, great great golf through the years. Hats off to both of them!

[@shaneyoung9739]

Mr. Ernie Els well said Sir it's awesome to hear honesty and in my opinion you're a legend. I don't think Phil Mickelson would have such nice stories of Tiger. Lol It's been a privilege to watch you Golf over your Career Ernie always keep your head high Sir you are one of the greatest of all time. A fan from Michigan Ernie.

[@ronjessie8194]

Standing in the shadow of Tiger is humbling, Ernie Els has nothing to feel bad about, he was pretty awesome himself. Some of the best golf that was played included Ernie and Tiger going head to head. Stand proud, Mr. Els.

[@crimdell]

In 1997 I was in the gallery at the US Open at Congressional. In a practice round (Tuesday), Ernie was the most accommodating player in the field. He welcomed autograph and photo seekers. Tiger had tunnel vision and wouldn't even make eye contact with spectators. It gave me great pleasure that on Sunday Ernie won the US Open with some very clutch shots down the stretch. Sometimes nice guys do finish first.

[@toprod9493]

I saw a documentary on Ernie Els and he is an absolute gentleman. I rate him highly. 👍

[@THATREALBREW]

I love this interview! Ernie was just being real and that's refreshing.

[@davanmani556]

The resentment was that he felt pressured as a South African to move to the United States in order to compete against Tiger. Vijay Singh, Greg Norman and Colin Montgomerie who is a huge fan of Tiger felt the same away. Gary Player felt the same away with Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer but resented more toward Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw, and Johnny Miller because they came from the junior and college system. He thought Arnold and Jack were great athletes who left college early. His favorite was Lee Trevino who didn’t come through that system as well as Calvin Peete and Lee Elder.

[@kimehunt4501]

Graham always makes athletes open up more than anyone else. I love Ernie he would have a few more majors if not for Tiger. Nicest swing. PS I think having Tiger say he expected more of me, I'd take that as a compliment that he thought I'd win more.

[@pisanu6699]

I was fortunate to watch him play a few times in Thailand. Nice and calm and seem to never get emotional when interrupted by cell phone or anything. He's the guy always the same whether we see him in person or in tv.

[@gregmartin9390]

Ernie would have won maybe 2 or 3 more tournaments if the crowd was behind him. Ernie is a humble, articulate & one helluva guy.

[@ljsneets7037]

Greg Martin i think you mean, if tiger didn’t happen

[@TheLocalLt]

LJ Sneets no because like in 2004 at the Masters, Ernie played an outstanding round while Phil was playing mediocre, but Phil was able to really get the crowd on his side on the second nine and pick up momentum and shot 30, after going for about a 39 on the front.

[@ljsneets7037]

TheLocalLt Wow that’s interesting. So you’re saying having the crowd cheering enables the players to hit better shots? I’ve never heard that theory before

[@garfieldcampbell8847]

What a class guy Ernie is!!! Gentleman

[@AtEboli]

Completely misleading headline. Els did not say "it pains me to praise Tiger". He said it pained him to admit that Tiger was better than he was. Two very different things. Really appalling lack of journalistic integrity, Graham Bensinger, whoever the hell you are.

[@neil2385]

another wank american journalist

[@nigelio3]

You can chalk that up to this channel. Virtually every vid title is misleading.

[@incognito420.69]

Saying someone is better than you is praise... You really should have listened in school a bit more

[@jimmcbride1626]

I agree. Ernie was misquoted. Why?

[@btwizzle123]

Much respect for his honesty and humble nature. Great golfer already stamped behind his name.

[@charlieguzior]

Graham Bensinger - The King of Clickbait Headlines

[@paulsilas9070]

Ernie finished second to Tiger 7 times. More than anyone else.

[@ljsneets7037]

Dang, that’s a hell of a fun fact. Did not know that

[@murph165]

The title of this video is kind of misleading. It made me think that Ernie was disgusted with Tiger's off-the-course behavior -- but that wasn't it at all. Ernie admitted that Tiger was better, and said he detested saying that anybody was better than he. He wasn't pained to praise Tiger Woods; he hated to admit that another player was superior.

[@RG-ja34sep]

I remember quite a few years ago, the PGA Tour caddies were asked as to whom they would love to work for, and unanimously, the majority went for Ernie. That speaks volumes on what type of guy he is. There’s never been a more appropriate nickname “the Big Easy”.

[@eazybleezy]

R G not matt kuchar??

[@lrn_news9171]

@@eazybleezy lmao😂

[@ljsneets7037]

Sign of a true 🐐, is when you can list countless hall of famers who had most of their titles taken away from them. Tiger probably cost Phil and Ernie 10 majors between the two of them

[@cubswincubswinao]

So true. Tiger was like video game good, literally was making everything from late 90s to early 00s

[@lrn_news9171]

@@cubswincubswinao PEDs

[@robertm7889]

Dumb headline Ernie ends praising Woods for the most part. Which he should because like him or not all pga tour players are a lot richer because of Tiger...the prize money grew enormously because of his fan appeal and skill.

[@sbrooks904]

He literally says “it pains me to say that”

[@MacroX1231]

The title is spot on and not 'click bait' at all. Lesson: "HONOR". Ernie Els is a class act, a real gentleman, a true sport and shows it by admiting, at 0:41, that the competitor in him has to yeild to a skill set much greater than his. There's no shame in admitting that. The man is an apex/ alpha COMPETITOR, the likes of which 99.99% percent of us commenting here will never surpass. Only true losers cringe at this genuine and total honesty...

[@SammyEddie]

It is not ells reluctantly admitting tigers abilities. He showers tiger with respect. The title says it “pains him” to admit tigers greatness. He is in no way reluctant to praise tiger, so the title is totally against the them of the interview.

[@majorravindran8084]

Ernie is such an amazing and an honest guy ,,,

[@popscyclep8084]

Ernie has great character and integrity! Great interview Graham!!

[@logansmith9271]

Much Love for Mr. Ernie Els a real Champion

[@OHRaceFan]

Always liked this guy and always will. Class act, good family man.

[@bradpinoy]

Ernie Els is a Good Man. I always loved watching Ernie compete and play against Tiger.

[@jeffreyval9665]

If Tiger never existed the winners would probably still be getting 100 grand to win a tournament instead of 1.8 million like alot of tournaments today. Most golfers thank Tiger for making them all rich. He put golf on a whole different level and made most of them rich.

[@MyMg23]

Els was a fantastic talent and player-still is quite good-he just ran into the wrong guy {like everyone else}

[@alexgreen1823]

I love Ernie but he had many other opportunities when Tiger wasn't a factor

[@joshgarbemusic]

he won 4 majors!

[@jmwall24]

Nice clickbait headline that is completely untrue

[@faithandpractice]

John W. When he was saying nice things he actually said, “it pains me to say”. Not click bait for once.

[@alreoch8463]

@@faithandpractice Sorry but the title is garbage. It pained Ernie to say Tiger was better than him. Ernie had no problem giving Tiger praise at all

[@danfloros4267]

the headline is spot on..summarises it perfectly..you stooges who think otherwise should do an english course

[@alreoch8463]

@@danfloros4267 you've certainly proven yourself to be a literary genius by going straight in with the insults 😂😂

[@TITHONIA1]

You don't pay attention very well. Ernie said EXACTLY THAT, “it pains me to say it”. Dim-bulb!

[@johnnybgood7442]

Tiger was Jack, Phil was Arnie and Ernie was Gary Player for their era. It was fun to watch.

[@mahavishnuorchestra]

The big easy - one of the smoothest swings of all time...

[@stevenlwi1072]

Who else but Els !!! Very magnanimous interview

[@anthonybarksdale350]

Great answers Ernie...even if these questions seem to be a little suspect. Great way to brush them off and keep the respect between you and Tiger.

[@logansmith9271]

Now that Class much Love Mr. Els

[@wreckim]

Ernie is a great champion in his own right. 4 Majors...no slouch whatsoever, and just a treat to watch play.

[@raymondparsley7442]

Ernie Ells is a gentleman golfer which is Parr for the course, the game, so to speak. Ernie has the sweetest, easy flowing swing in golf... and is a real pleasure to watch.

[@LeeComeauxGolf2017]

Ernie he’s 3rd all time winningest player in Europe so he kicks ass wherever he went.

[@yt_life1610]

You're the man Ernie Els #golf legend

[@timezup8637]

Gentle giant! Total respect for Mr.Els!

[@richardoki8320]

Ernie’s clutch phrase is “you know”

[@wannabe353]

As is the case for a lot of South Africans lol 😉

[@phramghao3950]

i am Libra ♎️ like Big EZ Els. i have a bottle of red wine 🍷 named Ernie Els 👍 Great my Bro! Graceful swing

[@23lnp]

Libra cant hold anything to a capricorn ♑️ 😉

[@eazybleezy]

I fist-bumped with Ernie Els and Joaquin Niemann at the 2019 Valero Open a week ago! Little do they know i sucked their powers out of them like The Monstars in Space Jam!!

[@gunthermartinhampel2628]

Gentleman! I love his game and character

[@MyMg23]

I think Els was one of the few guys Tiger had any respect for-apparently Duval too

[@danallen2480]

tchwiss shut your dirty mouth you wrong'en. No grip of articulate language so lead with racism. Hope the world gets you back Asap.

[@djmrnelson]

he actually respected Vijay as well. just didn't like him personally

[@KillyJoe]

Dan Allen what

[@victormorosco4757]

djmrnelson our u

[@MrMGR1986]

djmrnelson I don’t think Tiger dislike anyone except Sergio

[@1982kinger]

I've always enjoyed Graham's PGA interviews... his best was with Daly

[@elmalloc]

You are a Great interviewer, Graham!

[@elmalloc]

agreed

[@thomasjerome3845]

Ernie - Seems like a great guy and an incredible talent. Won 4 majors probably would have 4 more if he didnt run into Tiger at his absolute peak. Also Phil and Vijay at their peaks as well

[@patrickfullsail2011]

Ernie Els has the prettiest golf swing of ALL TIME

[@gullybop1695]

That's debatable....Louie Oousthevan..has a very nice swing

[@chicodecuba5306]

Ummm Noo..tiger and hogan

[@dandylishious]

real dudes know hogan was flawless.

[@straightgrizzzly7879]

Hogan, Oosthuizen, Scott, Els - but my choice is and always will be Freddie Couples. Definitely debatable.

[@CitizenDissendentVI]

any competitive athlete at the top of their field would be in agony having to admit another was just that much better than everyone else. Els is still an all era HoF player.

[@adanacman666]

him and craig stadler and jack of course were my all time favorites

[@melwilliams1252]

Love ErnIe Els, the"Big Easy" one of the smoothest swings in golf. Never looked like he was over swinging. Class act for sure.

[@beckyhenkel7917]

Ernie and Tiger are both grown ups. Thank you Ernie.

[@erwinmonti5066]

I PLAYED AT FIRESTONE IN AKRON FOR 30 YEARS. ALWAYS TALKED TO ERNIE IN THE LOCKER ROOM WITH PAUL LAZORNE. HE WOULD JUST SIT DOWN LIKE HE WAS PART OF OUR FOURSEM. REALLY GREAT GUY. SMOOTH AND EASY.

[@emptyhearted9981]

Was Fred Couples decent? Strange is a prick right?

[@tbev3363]

Els is a class act dude....also, damn can he chip from a bunker...Bay Hill, warm up....chipped 6 from the practice bunker to within a foot of the cup. I was like.....wow!

[@tbev3363]

@Arcade my bad, I meant driving from the bunker, no putting from a sand trap, , no swing a short iron at a ball in the sand, ya dink.

[@tiggerwoods8829]

Ernie Els is pure class. Real gentleman of golf.

[@kevinpayne8507]

what a horrible and embarrasing headline for whoever put it on here...Els is one of the true class acts in golf...and he gets hit with a lie for a headline to try and drive traffic to this video....classic example why nobody in the media...CBS news, internet sites or youtube is ever to be trusted

[@7_red24]

(0:43) "He was just a little bit too good. And it pains me to say that." I wouldn't call it lie, but yes, def an embarrassing and very unfortunate choice, posted at the expense of a true class act and gentleman, Mr. Ernie Els.

[@sallyhu5028]

Why do you feel the need to malign "the media" when it's clearly one individual KZbinr who is deliberately taking words out of context as click bait?

[@SandSeven]

@@sallyhu5028 well played 😉

[@sameoldjimbo]

Ernie, jy is n' man! What a class act.

[@Den-xq1fn]

What year was this interview?

[@ScottySmac]

I "tried" to model my swing after the Big Easies. Being 6' 5".

[@seanyoung9815]

I made Ernie Els yawn on the tee box on the 5th hole at Riviera at the Nissan Open in 2016. He sliced the ball right and had to hit a provisional. He ended up making bogey on the hole. lmaoooo

[@DoctorWilsonPHD]

History will not only judge Tiger on his Major wins or tournament wins etc, but also what kind of a man he was. Compared with the likes of Els, Tom Watson, Nicklaus, player etc, Woods pales in comparison.

[@DoctorWilsonPHD]

Yeah totally agree chief. But i reckon its more to do with how he conducted himself in front of the limelight. He was petulent, he threw clubs, spat, and generally provided a barrier between him and the public. I am absolutely certain the guys I mentioned above had their fare share of wrong doings, but the way they conducted themselves as men is the most important thing. Woods was insular, sullen and pragmatic. Can't argue with his record though.

[@jimfish8742]

DoctorWilsonPHD You every heard or Bobby Jones? Threw clubs all the time early in his career. I believe I read once that he hit a gal doing that, how bout Walter Hagen? Legend has it he was half lit most of the time he played and was a huge player with the ladies. Ben Hogan? Everything I have ever read on Hogan was he was an asshole, hardly talked to his fellow competitors much less the gallery even after the round. Arnold Palmers only come around once in 2 lifetimes if your lucky. If you dig hard enough you could find dirt on a lot of tour players. Good god Figjam (Mickelson) Mr family man himself that allegedly Ely Callaway paid off a pretty good chunk of his gambling debt. Not sure if that’s true or not. We treat pro athletes as if they were god’s and immune to faults as human beings. Under 40 male, told since a young age that he was going to destroy Jack Nicklaus records. Add 3-4 hundred million dollars and let’s see what happens. Just saying...Judge the man for what he has done for the game itself not for the faults he has as a human.

[@2badger2]

Playing in the US gave Tiger a advantage? Woods has won 40 of the 120 European Tour events he is credited for playing as a pro in his career, that’s a 33% winning rate. Tiger only wins at a 25% rate in the US. This data was from 2014. What you said Mr. Els does fit the numbers.

[@FJBFRFR]

He said "it pains me to say it" in reference to admitting his failures versus tiger on the course. Misleading headline

[@karelesterhuizen7117]

Ernie is a legend.

[@willingtongan981]

Els has always been a golfer with intergrity. Some golfers you just can not beat most of the time.

[@stuartperry1047]

Nice interview. Fine golfer. Good man.

[@lorrainebrooks6940]

I dont understand why you cant have cc for the deaf! We are fans too

[@garygwin1741]

This doesnt reflect badly on Ernie. Ernie was just a great competitor, who would have won more had he not played in the tiger era

[@marietaylor5174]

Tiger did not have home advantage when he won over forty tournaments on the European tour.

[@BobTheFrog92Gaming]

Marie Taylor it’s a good thing he didn’t say he had home advantage in europe

[@mangravy2000]

Yeah, Ernie should not have said that. Love the guy and his swing but he messed up there. I'm sure he has a lot of ill feelings being overshadowed during his prime.

[@ag358]

@@r2d2_hello_world finally we get the truth.

[@louisbotha8488]

Dunno where you get your stats from, but this is very incorrect

[@johnclark3697]

Top Gent . ERNIE . & THE U.S. OPEN AT OAKMONT WHERE THE GREENS WERE LIKE RAISED BISCUITS IS THE FINEST DISPLAY OF GOLFING SKILL YOU WII EVER SEE!!!!....EVER!

[@ivandaniel08]

Great Els!

[@robertpasqualitto2394]

Fantastic human being who just happens to be a great golfer too. Honest, but not to the point of being purposely hurtful. Open and considerate to other golfers and people. And still humble about who he is, what he’s accomplished, and his goals. My respect and appreciation for what a good man you are Mr. Els. Great interview.

[@FBI_Surveillance]

What a class guy! However, I’m kind of blown away that Ernie Els doesn’t know the meaning behind his nickname. “The Big Easy”! HEY ERNIE! Your nickname doesn’t mean you’re easy going or that you don’t work hard…. It’s your long, languid, even tempo swing, that looks easy and relaxed, but POUNDS THE GOLF BALL down the fairway!

[@SnowWolf90]

its respectable, this is how a good golfer should be

[@Gregoryg90]

You know.

[@wildbald]

Ernie is awesome!

[@bailinnumberguy]

There was no rivalry between Tiger Woods and Ernie Els. There was no rivalry between Tiger and anyone, except for his wife.

[@marcdennler8642]

Yeah, and it's probably the only one he ever lost...

[@lrn_news9171]

And Sergio but Tiger sorta laughed it off

[@georgeschubert9652]

You go Ernie. Kudos.

[@internationalmanofmystery6798]

He reminds me of Raymond van Barneveld

[@yourthebest7942]

I don’t think it matters what country Tiger was playing in. He just was THAT good.

[@johnnyt3392]

EXACTLY

[@ikaikamaleko8370]

"wait another five years" 😂😂

[@Xrplovr]

Well the funny part of that obviously is that Els is such a nice guy to chat to Woods after being so dejected about blowing holes 16 and 18. Then to be so selfish as to use that time to get advice on whether or not he should turn pro. Jordan would be like,”LeWho? Who let this high school kid in the locker room “

[@davidsobel6841]

Ernie, you are a true champion

[@definitiveenergy1]

The big Easy because of his effortless swing, to me.

[@tosius2]

Ernie Els is a class act ...

[@Boo-hb7qj]

I like when he says it pains me to say this lol but at least he was man enough to say it

[@dwaynedavis9950]

listening to these guys talk proves that Tiger was a dominant force in golf ⛳

[@michaelrossevans]

Is*

[@carlbaumeister3439]

I never thought he was called the Big Easy bc he didn’t work. I think ppl called him that bc he was a big guy with an easy, effortless swing.

[@BatMan-xr8gg]

That is correct, it was his easy swing that earned him the name. I watched him play, and it was just so smooth and easy and he still hit the ball a long way.

[@gregbishop5587]

Exactly The best swing in golf

[@ts1821]

Graham always looks at his guest like he's waiting for the right moment to lean in for a kiss

[@kristitrimble9658]

Man crush...