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Ernie Els looking for first win of 2006 at Byron Nelson

Ernie Els returns to a happy hunting ground for this week's Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, where he will continue his search for a first victory of the year.

The South African has regularly featured in the top 10 at one of the most popular stops on the PGA Tour and, boosted by a course-record 61 on the Cottonwood Valley Course, won the title in 1995.

The event is played over the Cottonwood and the TPC at Las Colinas over the first two days before the TPC layout hosts the last two rounds.

"I like the challenge of these two golf courses," twice U.S. Open champion Els said on Monday.

"They're not that long by today's standards, but you need to hit the ball straight and you have to control the flight of your golf ball.

"This is Texas, remember, and it gets windy. You need to be able to hit a lot of different shots, use the wind when you can and also hold shots up against it."

World number six Els believes he is close to his best form with the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, New York just one month away.

"I've still got some work to do to eliminate the mistakes in my game which are costing me so dearly at the moment," he added on his official Web site.

"Overall, I'm swinging the club well but every now and then as I'm coming through the shot I tend to shy away from the left knee where I had the injury."

The smooth-swinging South African was sidelined for four months at the end of last year after twisting his left knee on a family sailing holiday in the Mediterranean in July.

"That's where the bad shot comes in," he added. "There's still some pain in my knee here and there, but it's now at that stage where it's mainly about getting the brain to trust it.

"I guess the mental side just takes a little bit longer but, like the rest of my golf game, it's really close."

Els, who has produced three top-10 finishes in eight PGA Tour appearances this season, faces a strong field this week.

Although the world's leading two players, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, are absent, six of the top 10 are competing at the TPC at Four Seasons Resort.

Apart from Els, fourth-ranked Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk (five), Sergio Garcia (seven), Adam Scott (nine) and Luke Donald (10) will be in action.

American Furyk arrives in Texas fresh from his playoff victory at the Wachovia Championship on Sunday while Fijian Singh (2003) and Spaniard Garcia (2004) are former winners at the Byron Nelson.

World number one Woods, whose father Earl died last week after a long battle with cancer, has not said when he will return to tournament golf while U.S. Masters champion Mickelson pulled out of the event on Monday, citing personal reasons.

American Ted Purdy will be defending the title he won last year by a shot over compatriot Sean O'Hair.

Purdy fired a flawless five-under-par 65 to claim his maiden U.S. PGA Tour victory in the event hosted by golfing great Byron Nelson.