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Ernie Els Throws A Dollar in the Swear Jar

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It isn’t every day that you hear about an expletive-laced outburst from “The Big Easy” Ernie Els, but that’s exactly what happened following his third round at the BMW Championship in Europe. In his usual gentlemenly manner, however, Els has made nice with everyone involved, even in the form of a substaintal donation.

Why was Ernie so upset on Saturday? It appears the Hall of Fame veteran was none-to-happy regarding the condition of Wentworth’s greens, accusing greenskeepers and tournament officials of not “watering the greens enough”. As a result, the greens seemed to be a bit less-receptive to approach shots, sending many bouncing off of the harder putting surfaces.

In order to avoid paying a fine for his outburst - and because he’s a nice guy - Els asked to see European Tour chief Executive George O’Grady on Sunday morning and “apologized for his intemperate language”.

O’Grady said Els has apologized to “all the individuals concerned” and has accepted Els’ offer of a “substantial donation to the European Tour Benevolent Trust.”

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