Els tells Harrington to ride the wave

"Big Easy" Ernie Els has urged Padraig Harrington to sit down and enjoy his incredible Major run.

Harrington admits that he is finding it difficult to get his head around the fact that he has won three Majors in just over a year.

But Els - a three time Major winner himself - reckons the Dubliner should savour his hot streak while the going's good.

Sidelined in 2005 due to knee surgery and without a Major win since 2002, Els said: "Padraig he's on a great streak now and he's having a great time in his life and he's got things going his way.

"He's in a great place, and golf can give it to you and sometimes take it away from you a little bit, too."

Els confessed that he once felt overwhelmed by his success but now he just misses that winning feeling and he's urged Harrington to enjoy it while it lasts

Els explained: "I felt like Padraig also but I don't feel that way now. It's just a confidence thing and I feel there's just been a lack of confidence and whether it's to do with off the golf course stuff, I'm not sure.

"Not having won a Major since 2002, it doesn't sit well with me. So that's why you make changes and try to find answers and get better, because I feel as healthy and as fit as ever and my swing is really good, so there's a lot of things going for me.

"I just need to get things going my way and that's basically momentum. That's what Padraig has got at the moment. The way he won the Open was incredible golf on the final nine holes, and Oakland Hills, getting the ball up-and-down like that all the time.

"That's momentum and that's a lot of confidence and he's riding a nice wave at the moment Padraig just needs to get back home and reflect on what he's done. He needs to sit back and watch the video and really take it in."

Els' son Ben is autistic and the Big Easy plans to thank millionaire JP McManus for donating £1,000 in cash (€1,650) to his autism charity earlier this week.

McManus handed over a fistful of notes during the pro-am and Els was amazed, explaining: "That's just incredible and just shows how generous JP is. JP has met Ben a couple of times and it's just fantastic he should do something as spontaneous as what he did yesterday."