HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – West Indies Test legend Brian Lara, South African golfer Ernie Els and Bermuda’s Premier Ewart Brown took time out to enjoy an impromptu game of cricket on Port Royal’s signature 16th hole during Monday’s PGA Grand Slam of Golf pro-am tournament.
Els had more trouble getting to grips with the Premier’s medium-pace bowling than Port Royal’s greens ahead of the Grand Slam proper being staged in Bermuda for the fourth successive year.
And while 40-year-old Els, a cricket fanatic, certainly did not disgrace himself at the ‘crease’, he looked slightly less comfortable with a bat in his hands than he did wielding a driver.
“I haven’t played cricket in many years,” said Els. “Last time I think I hit a cricket shot was in Jamaica in 1994.
“At least I made contact. The Premier was bowling at me, thank goodness not too fast. I actually hit a couple of shots . . . we had a bit of fun there.”
Els, a winner of three majors, has been a close friend of 41-year-old Lara for a number of years with the pair sharing a passion for both cricket and golf, although Els admitted he was not as gifted a cricketer as Lara is a golfer.