Fifty-four-year-old Ernie Els has had one of many recreation’s most spectacular careers.

The South African World Golf Corridor-of-Famer gained 19 instances on the PGA Tour and 47 instances internationally, inclusive of 4 main championships — and he did it throughout Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson’s heydey, too.

Lately, Els is showcasing his skills totally on the PGA Tour Champions, the place he’s competing within the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Nation Membership this week. After a gap spherical of 63 on Thursday, Els led the sphere by two pictures with three rounds to play.

One individual completely unsurprised by Els’ efficiency was my husband, Paul, the pinnacle professional at Phoenix Nation Membership, who received a front-row seat to Els’ unimaginable expertise when he performed with him in Wednesday’s pro-am. It was a improbable expertise for Paul, and he got here away raving about not solely Els’ recreation but additionally Els’ character, and the best way he made the day so fulfilling for the group.

Naturally, I couldn’t assist however pepper Paul with questions on how watching Els navigate the course may assist educate the remainder of us. Under are his top-five takeaways.

1. Tempo is every part

Els doesn’t have the nickname “The Huge Simple” for nothing.

“Ernie has the identical routine each time,” Paul stated. “All the best way from tee to inexperienced, identical tempo, identical rhythm, very clean. By no means adjustments. As quickly as he will get over the ball, his routine is constant all the way down to the cut up second earlier than he pulls the set off. All the good gamers have their timing down completely, as he’s no completely different.”

2. Full-swing bunker pictures, irrespective of the gap

Paul stated he was actually impressed by Els’ bunker recreation, and that his rhythm within the bunker was the identical because it was for pictures off the tee and from the green.

“He took a very lengthy, full backswing and a very full follow-through on each bunker shot, no matter its size,” Paul stated. “It was a full, fluid swing. It wasn’t quick, it wasn’t lengthy. It was the identical tempo as each different shot.”

3. Wedge mastery

“His chipping was phenomenal,” Paul stated. “Most amateurs stand too removed from the ball. Ernie stands upright and shut when he’s chipping. Even the heel of the membership is nearly off the bottom. Toe down, heel up, and he would hit these little chips the place you sort of maintain the face off and it might spin.”

Paul stated it was a shot he’s been engaged on using in his personal recreation, however Els displayed next-level mastery.

“He opens the face, will get the membership upright, after which chips with what seems to be sort of like an out-to-in swing,” Paul stated. “It comes off the toe, is available in good and low, after which checks rapidly.”

4. Extra time doesn’t equal extra perception

Relating to placing, Paul stated Els went about his enterprise pretty rapidly.

“He’s not one to stroll across the putt for a very long time,” Paul stated. “He seems to be rapidly, decides, and that’s it. He steps in and goes on the identical velocity and tempo as normal. He trusts it.”

5. Faucet in to the sport’s pleasure

Paul stated it was apparent that Els nonetheless loves and enjoys the sport.

“If we received just a little backed up after ending a gap, he would simply drop a couple of balls and fiddle chipping, opening and shutting the face for various outcomes,” Paul stated. “It’s like going again to being a child, and difficult your self with completely different golf equipment and lies and situations only for enjoyable. However it actually helps you get higher.”

Paul stated Els shot a straightforward, breezy 65 on Wednesday — and he missed a bunch of putts.

With this perception from Els, right here’s hoping you may shave a stroke or two from your individual recreation this weekend.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of feminine varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everybody on the masthead. She will be able to out-hustle them within the workplace, too, the place she’s primarily liable for producing each print and on-line options, and overseeing main particular tasks, resembling GOLF’s inaugural Model Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview collection, “A Spherical With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in each within the journal and in video kind on GOLF.com.