Ernie Els criticizes officials for condition of greens at BMW PGA Championship

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Ernie Els was criticized for tough changes he made to the West Course when he helped redesign it in 2010, but he dished out the disapproval after numerous high scores on Saturday.

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PGA.com news services 

Series: European Tour

VIRGINIA WATER, England -- Ernie Els launched an expletive-laced attack on European Tour officials and greenkeepers at the BMW PGA Championship for failing to water the putting surfaces enough for Saturday’s third round at Wentworth.

Els was criticized for tough changes he made to the West Course when he helped redesign it in 2010, but he dished out the disapproval after numerous high scores on Saturday.

"I asked them to put water on the greens, so put … water on the greens," said Els. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. The guys are not happy and I'm with them. The Tour has got to play ball -- it's not my job.

"The 15th green is holding, the 16th is not, the 17th is not, the 18th is not. They're all inconsistent," he explained. "I can't keep talking about this. At some point they've got to listen. I do talk, but they don't listen.

"I can't control the wind and it seems like I can't control the greens staff, either. They've seen the forecast almost a week in advance, but it's like talking to this wall behind me -- I'm fed up," he added. "This is not a surprise. I've been talking since I landed on Monday -- keep the moisture on the greens.

"It gets to me. I want everybody to have a fair and tough examination. Anybody who has half an idea in this game can walk to the 12th green and see. It's dead," he said. "Somebody is not doing their job. Why is this happening?"

Els added that he had spoken to European Tour Chief Referee John Paramor out on the course and was told there had been some watering, but the South African added: "Well, you've got to triple it."

Two days after Rory McIlroy put himself in line for a fine for throwing a club, Els was in danger, too.

The Tour regulations state that "it is an obligation of membership to refrain from comments to media that attack, disparage or criticise officials," and any contravention of that is a breach of the code of behavior.

"We want a tough and fair set-up. The greens have been hand-watered every night after play," said Tournament Director David Garland. "This was done last night and because we knew that east winds were forecast, sprinklers were also put on every single green to give them more water.

"Because of the conditions some fairways were also watered and tees were moved forward on the 13th, 15th, 17th and 18th."

The Sizzle is Back

Posted Aug 18, 2008

By Mike Duffy



Terrell Suggs took the field Monday after signing his franchise tag tender.


The sound of a familiar laugh could be heard through the halls of Ravens headquarters in Owings Mills early Monday morning – one that hadn’t echoed around the building for months.

Linebacker Terrell Suggs was back after a longtime hiatus, finally signing his franchise tag tender and ending a 27-day holdout that lasted all of training camp.

And, even though his teammates were happy to welcome Suggs into the fold, they won’t let him forget all the sweat equity and hard work he missed at McDaniel College.

Upon catching word of Suggs’ impending return, many Ravens began plotting a reunion dinner, with the two-time Pro Bowler as the primary benefactor.

“I’ve got to take them out on Thursday,” Suggs said after participating in Monday’s practice. “They took all the bullets for me and did the two-a-days; I really appreciate them. They gave me some grief, but they always give me some grief. I’m kind of like that little brother.

“I’m here now, and I’m ready to get out there and just win some games.”

Suggs, 25, will be eased back into the lineup, as the first-stringer is expected to play in approximately one quarter this weekend against the St. Louis Rams.

Head coach John Harbaugh is also optimistic that Suggs will be ready for the Ravens’ regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7, even if he still has a long way to go in his football conditioning.

“It felt good to have [No. 55] out there today,” said the smiling coach. “It looks like he’s in really good shape. It’s not football practice, what he’s been doing. You could tell – the change of direction and the burst – but he was competing and fighting. He’ll probably be a little bit sore tomorrow. But he was in good shape.”

Suggs spent the majority of his summer in his home-state of Arizona, where many of his peers trained during the offseason. But when training camps around the league began, he found himself in a surreal state of solitary confinement.

“You know I live in Arizona, so we were all hanging out, and then everybody was just gone,” Suggs admitted. “I was one of the few only ones that wasn’t in camp so it felt weird.”

Still, Suggs decided to stay away from Baltimore when the Ravens kept him off the free agent market with the franchise tag as a linebacker. The Ravens continue to hold Suggs in their long-term plans, considering his production at such a young age. In only five professional seasons, Suggs is already third in club history with 45 quarterback sacks, only six behind Michael McCrary in second place.

After filing a grievance with the NFL that suggested he played more snaps at defensive end than linebacker in 2007, Suggs and the Ravens were able to come to an agreement, creating a hybrid position that made up the disparity in salaries between the two positions.

It was the first time Suggs, the 10th-overall pick in the 2003 draft, had dealt with contract negotiations as a veteran.

“It was just the business side of it,” he stated. “I really didn’t want to do it because I love football. I love being out here running around. I was just out here and it was like we just picked up right where we left off with the guys. [Not reporting to camp was a] July 21 decision, and it was just like, ‘Nah, I ain’t going to go yet.’ It really wasn’t a big deal.

“I look at it as it gave me an extended period of time to really prepare myself for the season. It’s really unfortunate that I didn’t get to get in here on time and go to war with my boys, but that time is gone now, and I’m ready to play some football.”



His teammates were all eager to see the known prankster back in the locker room.

“Sizzle is a great teammate,” said cornerback Samari Rolle. “He’s always upbeat and a great player, so he brings both to this locker room: a leader and a player.”

The fact that he’s taking a crew that makes up the Ravens’ front seven – including reserves – out to a complimentary dinner doesn’t hurt, either.

“I think they’re going to aim for the fences on this one,” he estimated with a laugh. “It’s going to be fun. We get to catch up on everything that we missed and our plans for the future.

“I’ve got the front seven, but I’ve got the depth. I’ve got to get two party buses.”

According to a few of his teammates, “Sizzle” should prepare for some heavy hitters, especially the 300-pounders on the defensive line.



“We get to treat him like a rookie, so that’s going to be great,” said Haloti Ngata. “I’ll definitely get a to-go box to feed my wife and dogs.”

“Everyone knows I like the finer things in life,” joked Justin Bannan. “I think an expensive bottle of wine is in order.”

For both Suggs and the Ravens, Thursday’s scheduled meal will be a small price to pay to get one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers back on the field.