Fuente: © Southern Africa Tour
http://www.sunshinetour.com/

SOUTHERN AFRICA TOUR: Ernie more than ready for Wentworth

/noticias.info/ Tiger Woods is sure to draw the biggest crowd, but South Africa's Ernie Els would love nothing more than to remind everybody who has been the dominant figure at the HSBC World Match Play Championship over the past 12 years.

As the battle for golf's biggest cheque starts at Wentworth on Thursday, Woods, a winner in his last five tournaments and one of seven in the World Top-10, heads the 16-strong field looking for the £1million first prize.

Els, though, simply wants to taste success again nine months into a year where there has been none. To get to Sunday, he will have a mountain to climb and the world number one to overcome.

The 36-year-old Els was unable to defend the title last year because of the knee surgery he had undergone following his sailing accident during the summer. Now he is back, only as the sixth seed, but as the man who has already lifted the trophy a record six times. Including the last three he appeared in.

Els has won 22 of his 26 games over the West Course since making his debut as US Open champion in 1994.

Woods was not even on the scene then, of course, and Els set a record of 11 victories in a row before he lost the 1997 final to Vijay Singh. If he beats Angel Cabrera in the opening round he will equal that record.

"I think 36-hole match play is different to 18-hole match play," he said today. "You've got to play well for a much longer period of time and it gives you the best indication of who is the better player on the day.

"I've always enjoyed that. I've been behind quite a few times in the past and won some matches where I could never have done it in 18 holes.

"I think another factor is because I'm playing at home [Els lives on the Wentworth estate]. I obviously love sleeping in my own bed - it makes a big change from sleeping in a hotel room."

Colin Montgomerie, four times a winner on the course and hoping to stay on course for a fifth by beating cup teammate David Howell in the opening round, made the same point, but caused some laughter the way he put it.

"I look forward to this event. I stay in my own bed, which is a very rare thing nowadays," he said before quickly adding: "I didn't mean that that way. On my own, on my own.

"I spend less than 90 days at home and I very rarely, very rarely can go home and relax the way I did last night."

Whether Els can triumph yet again remains to be seen.

Even though he lost a play-off to Australian Adam Scott in Singapore on Sunday he states: "Obviously my form hasn't been that great, but I think it's been quite understandable after what I've been through.

"I still feel the knee every now and again and I'm trying to get it where I don't have to think about it on the swing. It's 400% better than it was say in March and I'm playing decent golf."

As for Woods being among his rivals this time - the American's only previous showing was in 1998 when he lost in the final to Mark O'Meara - Els adds: "He's an unbelievable talent.

"Obviously the Open win [at Hoylake] was huge for him, especially after missing the cut at the US Open after losing his dad. That was a very tough time for him.

"The Open gave him the belief that his swing is where he wants it to be and he's totally trusting what he's doing now. He's on a pretty nice roll."

Woods had never won five tournaments in a row until he won the Deutsche Bank Championship with a closing 63 two weeks ago.

Now comes the chance for six. He starts against compatriot Shaun Micheel, who was second to him at the US PGA championship last month and won that title in 2003, and if he comes through that he will face either South Africa’s Tim Clark or England’s Luke Donald.

The winner between Montgomerie v Howell will meet either defending champion Michael Campbell or outsider Simon Khan in Friday's quarter-finals, while Els' next opponent if he overcomes Cabrera would be Furyk or Ryder Cup Swede Robert Karlsson.

The other South African in the line-up is Retief Goosen, who to reach the last four will have to beat Paul Casey and then Scott or Canadian Mike Weir. notas_de_prensa_archivo