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Ernie Els still looking
for win in 2001
Ernie Els will have one last chance to claim a tour victory and maintain his
record of at least one win a year for the past seven years in this week's Players'
Championship on the Sunshine Tour.
The world number four joins his South African countrymen Retief Goosen and
Rory Sabbatini as the main attractions for the two million rands Players' Championship,
which tees off at the Royal Cape Golf Club on Thursday.
Els has had several second and third place finishes this year, and won the
World Cup of Golf with Goosen in Japan. But an official tour victory has so far
eluded him.
His frustrating year culminated in a play-off defeat at the hands of Spain's
Sergio Garcia in last week's Sun City Golf Challenge.
"That was a little disappointing, but Sergio played great golf on the
Sunday," said Els, who finished second behind Trevor Immelman in last year's
Players' Championship.
"For the last six to seven weeks I feel like I've played well enough to
win, but obviously my game hasn't been good enough. But my confidence is better
than it has been all year, and if it happens this week then it happens."
Els was at the Royal Cape Golf Club on Wednesday to launch his first golf course
in South Africa under Ernie Els Design and in partnership with Jack Nicklaus'
design company.
The estate is called Oubaai, which is Afrikaans for Old Bay, and is situated
near his home of Herold's Bay on the Cape Garden Route.
"I always wanted to do a golf course in South Africa. I feel I'm now at
the age of 32 and my golf career is getting on a bit, so now is a good time to
get a feeling for what design is all about," said Els.
"I've had a lot of requests to do courses, but I'm only looking at the
best sites and developers.
"I've got a plan for courses in Mexico and in Denver in the United States.
But I'm certainly not getting overwhelmed by golf course design. I still have
too many tournaments I want to win."
Goosen will be playing in the final tournament of his most successful but also
most physically demanding year as a professional.
The reigning U.S. Open champion has withdrawn from Tiger Woods' Williams World
Challenge next week in favour of some time off.
"I am playing the Players' Championship and then I'll take a good three
weeks' break and get ready for next year," Goosen said.
Sabbatini, the Durban-born professional who is now based in Arizona and has
become a regular on the PGA Tour, makes his first tournament appearance on the
Sunshine Tour.
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