ONE thing was clear at the Open in St Andrews – the golf fans in these parts still love Ernie Els. The affable South African was cheered on to every tee and green in Fife, a testament to Els’s enduring affection in the game. The 45 year old also made it clear yesterday that he isn’t just golfing these days for public love, but for further glory

“Oh, absolutely, definitely,” Els said when I asked him if, with two Open titles and two US Opens already on his shelf, he had more major wins inside him. “I’m having a tough year this year, I’ve been off form, and I’ve had equipment issues to resolve, trying to find the right driver, the right irons and stuff. But my feeling is, I can definitely win this thing [the Open] again. This is the one championship that I feel I can really win again, right up until I’m 55. So I’ve got another 10 years at it.

“I love links golf, I love these golf courses, and you don’t have to be perfect to do it. I feel I can definitely win another Open in Britain.”

After rounds of 71, 73, 69 and 73 Els finished tied-65th in St Andrews, and yesterday took stock of an eventful week. The R&A, never immune from criticism, took flak for various issues, including the farce of last Saturday morning’s brief spurt of play, followed by a Monday finish. But Els keenly leapt to the defence of the keepers of the Open Championship.

“I think they did everything they could,” he said. “It was inevitable, if you have an 11-hour delay due to bad weather, the you are going to have a Monday finish. They just couldn’t get it finished in time.

“I think the R&A came in for unnecessary criticism. What were they supposed to do? There was some criticism on the Saturday morning when they put the guys out early, and then had to stop. But what were they supposed to do – they had to try to get the play going.

“The wind then came up, and some people said it made these guys [the R&A] look like fools. Well, I don’t agree. These guys have been running the Open for many years. When the wind was calm, as it was at first, you can’t have players sitting around in the clubhouse – you’ve got to get them out there.”

That being said, the South African admitted to being intrigued by the debate about the pace of the greens on the Old Course. Unusually, the R&A on some days chose to leave uncut a number of the course’s more exposed greens, due to the ferocious winds. It left some lamenting the fact that, in the modern game, greens are cut so severely, in part to keep pace with the advanced technology of the clubs.

“I think it was a fair golf course,” said Els. “It has certainly not been unfair. Some of the flags were tucked away, but that is how it should be.

“But it would have been really fun if we had been able to play during those wild days, like on the Saturday. That is the sort of day when the golf course shows its teeth – you wouldn’t have seen too many scores under par.

“The Old Course needs a breeze. And with modern technology, the greens have been cut to be faster. But if those greens were a little bit slower, and play could have continued on the Saturday, it would have been an unbelievable championship, playing in that wind. You’d have seen something like eight-under leading or winning, if we had to play in those conditions.

“I really think the Old Course at St Andrews is unique. There is no other course like it in the world. They have tried to copy it in a number of places, but they don’t get it right, ever. This is one unique lay-out.”

As Monday’s dramas unfolded, Els watched along with everyone else as a bunch of amateurs – Paul Dunne, Jordan Niebrugge, Oliver Schniederjans and Ashley Chesters – threatened to engulf the leaderboard. It left many pondering the skills of the top amateurs these days – some of them just as dedicated to golf as the pros – though the South African added his own theory to the debate.

“I’m not taking anything away from the amateurs who did so well,” Els said. “But, on the Old Course, you can miss shots out there and get away with it, whereas on some other courses, if you miss a shot, you’re dead, you’re done on that hole. That’s why I think the Open is such a great championship.

“Also, these young guys, even with no experience before of the golf course – they are not intimidated. The fairways aren’t narrow, there is no high rough. If you have half an idea of a game plan, and you stick to it, you are going to do okay.

“The golf course being what it is, and in the conditions we had this week, you saw a very open championship. When there are strong winds, the guys who are really in control of their game can get out there and do it. But when there is no wind, and soft conditions, you can miss shots and still get away with it. A bunch of guys – amateur or pro – could do well.”

Els says he will keep coming back and coming back to try to add to his two Open titles. His span of years in winning majors – his first US Open triumph in 1994 and then a second Open at Lytham in 2012 – suggests his game can endure, wherever it is occasionally buried.

“I love this type of golf. This week, being honest, I tried to be too cute. I tried to get too close to some flags, which were placed over a hump or a shoulder, and I let things get away. You can easily three-putt out there.

“That’s what they did very well this week in the Open. The course is gettable, but they put the flags in positions where it catches you.

“I’ll be back. I love the Open. I can definitely win this championship again.”