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Ernie Els warming up for US Open

Ernie Els believes his first appearance at the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina could provide him with an ideal warm-up for next month's U.S. Open.

This week's hosting Quail Hollow Club is regarded as a similar test to Winged Foot, which will stage the second major of the year from June 15-18 in Mamaroneck, New York.

"I'm really looking forward to playing in the Wachovia," South African Els said on his official website.

"I've heard a lot of good reports about the Quail Hollow Club and I've obviously watched a bit of the coverage on television the last couple of years.

"I kind of know what to expect, and the players I've spoken to say it has an old-fashioned type of feel to it, but in a good way.

"It's been compared with Winged Foot, where we're playing the U.S. Open this year, and that's a hell of a golf course," added the world number five, who has not played competitively since tying for seventh at the Heritage Classic three weeks ago.

"I think the feeling is that Quail Hollow is probably good enough to host a major championship some day and it looks like my kind of golf course, to be honest with you."

Twice U.S. Open champion Els is yet to win this year but believes he is not too far from hitting top form.

"I feel like my game is very close right now and some serious competitive action will be good for me," said the 36-year-old, who has produced three top-10 finishes in his last five PGA Tour starts.

"Quail Hollow is almost 7,500 yards and the fairways are not that wide, so there's a real premium on long, accurate driving.

"That part of my game is in good shape right now, so it should work out to my advantage."

Els faces one of the strongest fields of the year at this week's PGA Tour event, with 10 of the world's top 11 players competing.

World number one Tiger Woods is a conspicuous absentee as he continues to spend time in California with his ailing father Earl, who has been battling prostate cancer since 1998.

Woods has played the Wachovia event in the past two years but said last month he was likely to take an extended break from the PGA Tour and may not play again until the U.S. Open.

Fourth-ranked Vijay Singh is back to defend the title he won last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

Six shots off the lead at the start of the final round, the Fijian completed a stirring rally by getting up-and-down to save par at the fourth extra hole and edge out American Furyk, who found water off the tee.

Spaniard Garcia began the last day six strokes clear of the field, but was eliminated at the first extra hole when he bogeyed the par-four 18th.

Like Els, the 42-year-old Singh is yet to win this season but has come close with seven top-10s in 10 PGA Tour events.

Also playing this week are world number eight David Toms, winner of the inaugural Wachovia Championship in 2003, and U.S. Masters champion Phil Mickelson, who tied for 15th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday.

The Wachovia Championship starts on Thursday.