For those fortunate enough to attend the Masters, the trip to Augusta, Georgia, is often more than simply watching a sporting event. It is a celebration, a gathering, a party. It is a place to meet and mingle, while also watching the best golfers in the world at one of the game's most storied courses.

That is how Ernie Els plans to treat next week -- even though he is playing.

When the year's first major championship begins on Thursday, Els will be teeing it up for the 23rd time at a tournament he has never won.

And he plans to enjoy the surroundings, as this will likely be the World Golf Hall of Famer's last Masters as a competitor.

"It's my swan song,'' said Els, 47, who has won four major championships but has never been able to capture a green jacket. "Why not? I've had 22 goes at it and had a great time. I need to do something special to get back there. I'm not really looking at it as my last one. But if it is, it is.''

To that end, Els said he has secured an extra house to rent for the week to take care of numerous friends and family who have not attended the Masters for years.

Over the time stretching to his first Masters in 1994, Els has visited Augusta National on many occasions, playing rounds there with his father, his brother, friends. "We've stayed in the cabins there, too,'' he said. "Nobody has been nicer to me and my family than the people there.''

But invitations to the Masters only go to those based on the cold, hard numbers. And unless Els has some sort of resurgence the rest of this year, he won't get that cherished invite that comes in the mail around Jan. 1.

In 2017, Els is playing on the last year of a five-year exemption that he earned for winning the 2012 Open at Royal Lytham. Some of the other ways to gain entry would be to finish in the top four at the remaining major championships this year, in the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings on the PGA Tour, be ranked among the top 50 in the world by the end of 2017 or by this time next year.

Perhaps there is a long shot high major finish in order, but the other criteria seem unlikely. Els is ranked 404th in the world and hasn't been inside the top 100 since the spring of 2015. He has not made it to the Tour Championship, thus finishing in the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings, since 2012.

"I feel sorry for him, I really do,'' said friend and fellow South African Charl Schwartzel, who won the Masters in 2011 by birdieing the final four holes. "I just really feel sorry because I can see his mind is still thinking and believes -- he practices now harder than he used to -- that he's still as good as he was 10 years ago. Somehow he's just not able to do it now. Maybe the simple answer is just age. I don't know. I've heard him talk about it. I can see it almost hurts him. It's frustrating and I think humiliating for him, too. He's this fun guy and he will be out here until he can't be out here anymore.''

South African Ernie Els owns plenty of success at the Masters, but he never has slipped on the green jacket, finishing second in 2000 and 2004. Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing could have been worse, however, on a player's psyche than what happened to Els at last year's Masters. During the first round, after reaching the first green in 3 strokes, he needed six more putts and recorded a 9 on the hole.

It played out in front of the world, as Els struggled with a yips problem that was painful for all who witnessed it. The way he faced up to it -- he didn't quit, spoke with the media after both the first and second rounds -- won him plenty of new fans. And a few weeks later he was one of the top putters on the PGA Tour after abandoning a change he said he should have never implemented at Augusta National.

"As I've said, you play this game long enough, you are going to embarrass yourself a couple of times,'' Els said. "That was one of them. I don't think about it too much. I've moved on from there. My stats say I've moved on. It was just a blip. I worked on something very new, very different. It just went nuts up there.

"I think if I walked off, it might have set a different tone. Especially for younger players. You have to set an example. You're not always going to be a winner. You're going to be a loser sometimes and you have to be able to handle it.''

Els has done a good job of framing his Masters disappointments, coming to terms with not winning a tournament he seemed built to win.

He finished second to Vijay Singh in 2000 and was the hard-luck runner-up in 2004 to Phil Mickelson, who birdied the final hole to win by a stroke. In 22 appearances, Els has three top-5s and six top-10s. But since losing to Mickelson, Els has not contended, missing four cuts and never cracking the top 10.

"I've put a lot of energy into that event and that's why after 22 times there, I'm not really looking at going to win,'' he said. "I'm hoping to have a nice week and if I can play the four rounds that'll be great and that'll be that. A lot of guys have never had the opportunity to have a chance to win and I've had a couple of chances to win. So I knew how that felt. It didn't quite go my way. I just want to have a good week.''

Els acknowledges that "it will be what could have been.'' After his first Masters appearance, he was considered a can't-miss at Augusta National.

"In '94, my very first Masters I finished eighth,'' said Els, who went on to win his next major start at the U.S. Open. "I played with [Ben] Crenshaw in the third round and shot 67 with him. He was excited for me and we chatted afterwards. He's ... kind of an Augusta specialist [and won the tournament twice]. He said how many times I was going to win it. As it happened, it never kind of blossomed. I think I used to put too much pressure on myself around Augusta. Growing up in South Africa, seeing it, starting to go there. I think I wasn't patient enough around Augusta. Not taking my medicine and playing the proper shot. That cost me.''

But it was hard to say that about 2004. Els did everything but win. He shot a final-round 67 that included eagles at the eighth and 13th holes. He was the leader by one -- having finished two holes ahead of Mickelson, who birdied five of the last seven holes, including the 18th, to grab his first major title.

Els was practicing on the nearby putting green awaiting a possible playoff when he heard the roar as Mickelson leapt into the air, his putt dropping for the win.

"That was one I was really disappointed about for a long time,'' Els said. "Looking back now I'm proud to have been involved in that battle. It was really one of the great battles in my career. Just the shots that were played. I played [the final round] with K.J. Choi. He holed out on 11 for eagle. He holed out a chip shot on 13. I made two eagles in my round.

"And Phil with his finish, it was incredible. It was kind of like ... if I wasn't going to get that one, the writing was on the wall. You look back at Tom Weiskopf, Ed Sneed ... they were guys who came close and it just didn't go well for them on that course. Then you've got guys like Phil and Tiger [Woods] and Bubba [Watson]. Certain courses just give you things and they certainly did it, played with a different mentality.

"You have to be a little loose and play the shots. I was always a little bit tight. You have to let the course come to you. But I've had a great time there over 20 years. Pretty cool.''

If Els seems a bit wistful, perhaps that is the case. He wants to do well enough to return, or even win, but is honest about his chances.

"We're just going to have one last look around,'' he said. "Hoping for a good week and to enjoy myself.''