Ernie Els is out

Blog Post that could become a column #3: Ernie Els, the #3 golfer in the world, is out for the rest of the year after injuring his knee. So much for the Big 4.
"On the recommendation of his medical adviser, Els has withdrawn from his tournament schedule to ensure a prompt and full recovery from the injury," said a statement from Mark Bell, Els's agent at International Sports Management.
You can read the whole story here.
Maybe it was fortuitous that Els can shut it down. His year has been a bit off, and he hasn't really challenged Tiger or Vijay Singh. He started the year with a shot at winning the Mercedes, but it never came together. Here are his stats to date. While $1.6-million hardly sounds like a write-off, Els plays to win majors, and he was never a factor in them this year.