Great Article about Ernie Els

Enjoy the read...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/golf/ernie-els-will-return-to-us-open-at-congressional-vastly-changed-by-his-childs-autism/2011/06/02/AGD5LjJH_story.html

Thanks for that Rossa,
I'll never forget the Tournament of Champions at Kapalua when Ernie and Tiger duelled down the final holes, matching eagles, sensational golf. Woods won on (perhaps?) the second play-off hole, Kapalua's difficult first when Tiger holed a roller-coaster 50 footer. Ernie's face was a picture.
Whenever we'd watch tapes at our club later that year, our Pro would say, "He'll never get over that." That year Ernie had three runner-up finishes, followed by the heartbreak losses to Hamilton and Mickelson, not to mention throwing away his chances last year at Pebble Beach.
But our pro was correct - Ernie always knew Tiger was there, Tiger always knew he'd been head-to-head with someone who may never be the same.

Those guys selling t-shirts, "I am Tiger Woods . . . . . . . . but I wish I was Ernie Els", could fold them up and stash them away, Ernie was vanquished.

Incidentally, Ernie's sometime compadre in fund-raising for autism is another, more "journeyman" pro, Cliff Kresge, who has also been a tower of strength in this fight.

Thank you Rossa.

Before it became public knowledge that Ernie was having difficulties in his family life it had looked to me for a while that he wasn't enjoying his competitive golf.

I kind of just put it down to the problems of trying to battle the Tiger factor but it made more sense that he had more important things on his mind.

Funny thing is I thought last year and even more so this year that he looked more relaxed again but the results clearly aren't coming. Yet?

Whenever I watch him I can never believe the ball doesn't go exactly where it's meant to with that swing. Looks like he was built to play golf but I guess when it comes to putting it's so indefineable what makes things work one day but not the next.

With regards to the man selling the T-Shirts regardless of who has won what I still would rather be Ernie. Too have that effortless power and natural charisma is far more envieable to me than Tiger's killer instinct and victories. Then again Ernie would probably rather have the victories!

I remember reading a chapter in a book, (can't remember which one maybe the one about the guy caddying for various people or was there one about someone playing with various people? A chapter about Donald Trump and him cheating springs to mind. Or was it that one about the guy who played as a kid but then became a journalist, something like "A Nice Jumper" maybe. I'll look it up in a min.) anyway the chapter involving Ernie involved a bet or something and Ernie used the expression "grabbing by the boondocks" or something like that but it just gave me the impression that Ernie was just such a top bloke.

This article just continues the theme of his life in that you will only read and learn things about Ernie that make you like him more.

It's sad that a lot of other professional sports stars cannot hold themselves with such dignity...

Nice article Rossa. Thanks for the link. Always liked Ernie.

One thing though (and it's nothing Els-related): if 1 in 110 children have genuine autism, I'm the Pope.

That's what the health stat's say, nbs. The number of prominent sports personalities over here with children having serious illness or disability is astonishing.
Perhaps the autism stat refers to the US but I don't find it in any way surprising.
Pope nbs 1 has a certain ring to it. Didn't see the smoke though, but perhaps there was fire?

Hi Kwini. Hmm, I could get to like being Pope NBS 1. What would they think of an atheist in the role though??

I know the health stats say autism is 1:110 over there (they say it's 1:150 here too) but I don't buy it. Just because little Jonny/Jennie doesn't fit some increasingly narrow social norm viz. their behaviour we have to give them a 'condition' to explain it rather than accept it. I imagine it helps explaining why Jonny/Jennie has just done whatever it is that's anti-social.

I have to laugh now it's described as a 'spectrum' behavioural disorder. Of course it's a spectrum. Behaviours are like that. Still, anything to justify giving them a little pill to calm them down so I don't have to take time out from my massively important life to deal with it....

I'm sure autism is real but the frequencies quoted now are getting daft. Complicated. Where do you draw the line saying a behavioural pattern is truly abnormal as opposed to where it is still part of the normal, expected spectrum? I think we're drawing the line in the wrong place.

Not very pc there, nbs.
Regardless, Ernie's boy is said to be at the more severe end of the spectrum; it's great that he has the wherewithal to ensure the best care and even greater that he's deploying it.

Is it really that big a deal? There are a lot more serious illnesses that people have to contend with on a daily basis. As much as I like Ernie, his position is not all that unusual and he has the financial backup to get the best help available. I'm sure it affects his life, but the last thing he'll want is to use it as an excuse for his perceived lack of majors.

kwinigolfer wrote:Not very pc there, nbs.
Regardless, Ernie's boy is said to be at the more severe end of the spectrum; it's great that he has the wherewithal to ensure the best care and even greater that he's deploying it.

kwini

Indeed not. But I think Navy has a very realistic opinion of modern life. We are always looking to offset the blame, whether it be our own actions or lack of them. It's always someone else's fault, even the behaviour of our own kids because we haven't brought them up properly.

It makes me soooo angry

kwinigolfer wrote:Not very pc there, nbs.
Regardless, Ernie's boy is said to be at the more severe end of the spectrum; it's great that he has the wherewithal to ensure the best care and even greater that he's deploying it.

PC? No, I'm generally not PC. Anyone dispute the fact that ritalin etc is prescribed way too readily and too often? As I said, I don't doubt that conditions like autism exist but giving anyone who has a problem with any form of social interaction the diagnosis of autism/ADHD (what an amusing acronym that is as well; of course I'll be hyper if you don't pay any attention to me Mummy/Daddy! )/Asperger's etc is not the way to go. It's not a discussion for here really.

I have huge respect for Els. Nothing I've seen or read about him makes me think he's anything but a genuine man who loves his family and is willing to put a lot of effort into 'giving something back' without any fanfare. Slightly envious of his golf swing as well!

super_realist wrote:Is it really that big a deal? There are a lot more serious illnesses that people have to contend with on a daily basis. As much as I like Ernie, his position is not all that unusual and he has the financial backup to get the best help available. I'm sure it affects his life, but the last thing he'll want is to use it as an excuse for his perceived lack of majors.

Not sure what the situation with Ernie's kid is. Certainly some areas of the "Autistic spectrum", like mild Asperger's, are easy enough to live with and adapt to, and probably would've been passed off as "eccentric" 50 years ago. But severe autism is very much a big deal, and one of the toughest illnesses for any parent to cope with. You can have all the financial resources in the world and it won't help when your child can't or won't communicate, or refuses to eat, or be touched, or any of the other common symptoms of severe autism.

I think we're talking apples and oranges here, at least I hope so.

Agree with Ned as far as autism is concerned; and it is undoubtedly well worth making the investment (if you want you use a dispassionate word) to help children with disabilities (this has nothing to do with AD disorders, the Ritalin end of any spectrum) in the hope for them and the community that the child will be able to contribute to society as childhood morphs into adulthood.

Nothing to do with hyperactivity or compulsive disorders whatsoever.

Autism is always a delicate subject (and nothing to do with golf but WTH)...

A friend of mine has two teenage children both registered as being on the autistic/aspergers spectrum. She agrees with me and NBS that the diagnosis is far too readily applied these days. Real sufferers need and deserve all the help they can get but she has seen far too many children that really just should be tagged with the "naughty child" epithet.

Whatever happened to personal responsibility?

I think you all need to speak to Ernie.
Meanwhile, he'll be glad to have moved his boy from England to Florida specifically to assure better treatment for what, in Ben's case, is believed to be a serious case.

As far as the comment "far too many children that really just should be tagged with the naughty child" tag, it's far more likely that the parents should be so labelled.

Oh this has sparked an unexpected debate...

I agree that the 1:100 or whatever seems extreme, but let’s not make underestimate the effects autism can have on a family. My cousin is autistic; he's 21 and will always struggle to lead an independent life. His family are not to blame in any way, his younger brother is a straight As student who is going to Uni with Army funding and will go to Sandhurst after, his Dad's is a successful financial adviser, who works from home the majority of the time and his mother is stay at home mum, who child minded as well as looking after her own lads. If Ernie's lad has a severe case as my cousin, I have absolutely no doubt that that it would have had a dramatic impact on EVERY SINGLE facet of his life, both personal and professional.

That’s not to say that some kids who are the milder end of the spectrum maybe too easily labelled as this or that (I would contend that that discussion is not really for this forum and definitely not this thread), but from the article it sounds like this son's situation is severe and has had a profound impact on the whole family. It’s something that he talks passionately and eloquently about and i'm sure the work he does for this cause helps a great many families that do not have financial security that he enjoys and for that i think he deserves a big pat on the back.

kwinigolfer wrote:...it is undoubtedly well worth making the investment (if you want you use a dispassionate word) to help children with disabilities (this has nothing to do with AD disorders, the Ritalin end of any spectrum) in the hope for them and the community that the child will be able to contribute to society as childhood morphs into adulthood.

Absolutely.

kwinigolfer wrote:I think you all need to speak to Ernie.
Meanwhile, he'll be glad to have moved his boy from England to Florida specifically to assure better treatment for what, in Ben's case, is believed to be a serious case.

Understandable he'd do the best for his son. If he gets better treatment in Florida, it's not like he can't afford it. All power to him.

kwinigolfer wrote:As far as the comment "far too many children that really just should be tagged with the naughty child" tag, it's far more likely that the parents should be so labelled.

Possibly true. Davie's remark about personal responsibility is pretty apt though, at all ages.

Rossa wrote:Oh this has sparked an unexpected debate...

Indeed. I should have known better.

Rossa wrote:I agree that the 1:100 or whatever seems extreme, but let’s not make underestimate the effects autism can have on a family. My cousin is autistic; he's 21 and will always struggle to lead an independent life. His family are not to blame in any way, his younger brother is a straight As student who is going to Uni with Army funding and will go to Sandhurst after, his Dad's is a successful financial adviser, who works from home the majority of the time and his mother is stay at home mum, who child minded as well as looking after her own lads. If Ernie's lad has a severe case as my cousin, I have absolutely no doubt that that it would have had a dramatic impact on EVERY SINGLE facet of his life, both personal and professional.

That’s not to say that some kids who are the milder end of the spectrum maybe too easily labelled as this or that (I would contend that that discussion is not really for this forum and definitely not this thread), but from the article it sounds like this son's situation is severe and has had a profound impact on the whole family. It’s something that he talks passionately and eloquently about and i'm sure the work he does for this cause helps a great many families that do not have financial security that he enjoys and for that i think he deserves a big pat on the back.

Well said. I'm not trying to be flippant re. these kind of disorders. There's a huge link, for example, between women taking valproate medication for epilepsy, bi-polar and a couple of other disorders at a particular (early) point in their pregnancy and autism; ~10% of pregnancies in this group I think. Anyway, more than enough on this. Still a good read on Ernie though Rossa; thanks for putting it up.