A NEAR MISS
Ernie Els has had a few close calls in his life in the air, including a flight with Scott Hoch on the way to Augusta for a Masters practice round in which the cockpit windscreen shattered in their Learjet. They diverted to Savannah, and made it in on another plane. However, nothing compared to the near collision on the way to Kohler, Wisconsin, for the 1996 Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf. Els was one of eight players competing in the International bracket at Blackwolf Run, and he and Michael Campbell were flying together from Florida. “We were coming in on approach, and there was no one in the tower or on the ground,” Els says. “All of a sudden, the plane’s collision alarm went off. We pulled up hard, and I heard the pilot yelling, ‘Divert, divert!’ I don’t know how close we came, but there was a small plane taking off in the wrong direction and heading straight for us. Something like 1 000 metres is considered a near miss, and I don’t know if we were that close, but it was crazy. They wouldn’t tell us exactly what happened, but you knew looking at the pilots that it wasn’t routine.” – DAVE SHEDLOSKI
FLYIN’ AND FIGHTIN’ A flight back from a tour event in Japan featured two golfers. One was Ernie Els, the plane’s owner, four-time major champion, doting father and champion of autism awareness. The other was journeyman pro Steve Marino who had met Els only days earlier but had struck enough of a rapport with him that Els invited Marino to enjoy a lively – and liquid – flight home to Florida. Laughter roared through the cabin for the first few hours until, abruptly, it didn’t. Els asked Marino if he was having a good time. Marino nodded that he was. Then Els pounced. What followed was a series of head butts and punches, the two large men tangling across the centre aisle and back. The flight crew was disappointed but not surprised. This was apparently a thing with Els. The scuffle went on for a time until exhaustion set in. Eventually they slept, and then remarkably, when they touched down, they shook hands and parted ways. The story circulated for several years on podcasts and message boards. Was it true? Eventually, the question was put to the source, and Els confirmed it was. “We had a lot to drink,” Els said on a 2018 episode of the No Laying Up podcast. “There was a lot to talk about, and we kind of hugged each other. It was a lovefest on the airplane.” Els laughed when referencing his “hug” with Marino. “Nobody got seriously injured. It was all in good fun. It’s just what guys do when there’s a lot of testosterone running.” – SAM WEINMAN
76 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online