Els going for record third victory

South African star Ernie Els returns to the site of his infamous defeat to Tiger Woods in the US$2.44 million Johnnie Walker Classic this week but the "Big Easy" could well go one-up on his nemesis by securing a record third victory.

The smooth-swinging Els tees up at the award-winning Blue Canyon Country Club on Thursday and will attempt to become the first man in the 17-year history of the Johnnie Walker Classic to win the prestigious title three times.

England's Nick Faldo and world number one Woods are the other players who hold two wins each alongside Els, triumphant in 1997 and 2003, and with the big South African in buoyant mood in Phuket, he could well lay the ghost of 1998, where Woods came from eight shots back to beat him in a play-off, to rest.

"I had a bit of a mess-up there at The Match Play (last week) but I feel like my game is good. I've been swinging well and putting nicely, and I had a couple of chances in three tournaments to win. Didn't quite pull any of them off, but you know, at least I had chances and I'm playing well. So looking forward to this week," said the world number six.

After ending his year with a home victory in December, Els picked up from where he left off with a third and a second in Abu Dhabi and Qatar respectively before posting another tied third outing in the Nissan Open on the US PGA Tour.

With the US Masters, the season's first Major looming, the South African is eager to regain his winning form. "Well, a win would be great, but I'd just like to play some decent golf, get decent scores under my belt," he said.

Els remembers clearly his loss to Woods at the spectacular Blue Canyon which last hosted the Johnnie Walker Classic some nine years ago. Els fired a final round 73 to drop into a play-off with Woods, who roared to a closing 65, and lost in extra holes.

"I didn't play a good weekend. I remember playing really well the first two rounds, and then you know, the putts kind of dried up. I don't think about that. It's about 10 years ago. And, you know, you lose more in this game than you win, so you might as well - I've had a lot of losses, too," he said.

The man who could stand in Els' way is the supremely talented Adam Scott of Australia, an expert of winning titles in Asia with three victories. At world number four, Scott will be the pundit's choice but with only three tournament starts under his belt this year, which includes a first round loss at last week's Match Play, Scott knows he must pull up his socks at Blue Canyon.

The early exit was however a blessing in disguise as it gave him time to work out the flaws with his swing guru Butch Harmon. "The game is showing signs, five weeks with no golf, I am a little disappointed but I half-expected to play poorly over the past couple of weeks.

"But certainly I've done a fair bit of work since I bowed out. I worked with Butch after that and I'm feeling a lot better here this week. I crept into some old habits, so we just worked on straightening that out," said Scott, who has triumphed once in the Johnnie Walker Classic in China and twice in the Barclays Singapore Open.

Els' compatriot, Retief Goosen, the eighth ranked player in the world, is also enjoying a rich vein of form, winning in Qatar earlier this season and finishing fifth in Abu Dhabi. He also enjoys being at Blue Canyon, having won the Tiger Skins here two years ago and was also third in the 1998 Johnnie Walker Classic.

"I've got good memories of the course. I know the course pretty well. You need to strike the ball well. I've played the front nine yesterday, and you know, the rough is really thick this year. The course is playing quite long. There's no run-out on the fairways at the moment," he said.

Casey, the reigning Johnnie Walker Young Player of the Year, is another man who flew into idyllic Phuket with a recent victory under his belt. And the talented Englishman intends to keep rising from his present 14th place in the world rankings.

"Every year I feel I'm getting more comfortable on the golf course. I'm getting used to the venues you're playing, the traveling. This year, the goals, I would love to be in the top 10 in the world, try to get in there as soon as possible, and slowly move up. This week, the goal is again trying to get myself into contention and try and win the Johnnie Walker Classic if possible," he said.

February 28, 2007

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