GolfTalkCentral

Els discusses slow play and Masters favorites

By Jon Levy
Mar 22, 2011 5:11 PM ET

ORLANDO, Fla. – Ernie Els offered insight into solving the PGA Tour’s slow play problems in his Tuesday news conference at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Among the highlights, he’d allow range finding devices in tournaments, cut down the size of tournament fields and prompt PGA Tour officials to "officiate play more" meaning he wishes officials would follow through in assessing penalties instead of warning and threatening.

He wasn’t quick to jump on the bandwagon that penalizing players is the ultimate answer, rather that penalizing the "right guy," instead of making an example out of a player or two, would be a great start.

Also, count Els among those with similar sentiments to oddsmaker Ladbrokes, saying Phil Mickelson is the player he’d put his money on at the Masters. He’d still take Tiger Woods as the second favorite.

“Their games just start feeling good when they get there, even if they’re not playing well heading in,” Els said.

Els also mentioned Graeme McDowell and Rory Mcllroy as a pair to look out for, although he conceded this Masters is perhaps the most wide open Masters in the past 10 years.