Quietly and smoothly, Ernie Els moved up the leader board at the $5.2 million Nissan Open. However, it almost was an afterthought despite his status as one of the world's best players.
This event was his first on the PGA Tour this season for Els, who shot 13-under-par 271 and finished tied for third.
While it was his first on tour, Els has played two events on the European Tour. He began his year at the Qatar Masters and tied for third. A week later he was second at Dubai. Els was anxious to see how his debut would go on the PGA Tour.
"This is my first tournament back and it was quite a big week for me," Els said. "I wanted to get off to a good start this week, get myself into the swing of things, and I think I did that."
Gone is the pressure of his own expectations of challenging Tiger Woods every week to become the world's No. 1 golfer. The goals are different now. It is not a concession, but a realization that the pressure was detrimental to his game and he can achieve those same objectives.
Els has embarked on a three-year plan to put himself in with Woods and expects to become an elite player once again.
"I've got to play consistently well," Els said. "That means I want to play at a higher level than I've played in the past and I want to win golf tournaments. I want to try and win majors. I want to complete my own Grand Slam. That's what I want to do."
Els was mentioned with Woods, Retief Goosen, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh, the group referred to as the Big 5 in 2004. Els won three events that year and looked like he was trying to make it a Big 2.
But Els hasn't won on tour since and a knee injury suffered in a 2005 boating accident really curtailed any progress he was making toward a comeback. Els didn't help his progress when he didn't let the injury fully heal.
"I came back very fast," Els said. "I still came back at the end of 2005 in South Africa. I played some events, I had some success, I won a tournament, but I think the effect of the week-in and week-out of play and a lot of traveling, maybe I did come back a little bit too soon."
It affected Els last year as well.
"Second guessing, basically a lot of doubts about the swing and the knee," Els said. "A bit of a struggle within the game."
Els was able to come back physically but struggled mentally for most of the season. His best finish was third at the British Open and Els was seeing signs of improvement.
"I had the tide, so to speak, against me a little bit in 2006," Els said. "I really tried to make an effort to change my mindset and change a lot of things within in the game."
While Els was rehabbing his game, Woods was only getting stronger.
"You know Tiger just really set the bar again in the last year or so winning those majors and on the streak now," Els said. He is just an unbelievable athlete.
Els can make that consolation and if he plays well against Woods or any other golfer and comes up short, won't be as devastated as he would get in the past.
"I think I've got to move past that," Els said. "I had a real tough time in 2004 where I'd come close so many times. Every time I lost, it felt like the world caved in on top of me. I don't want to feel that way anymore. You can only do your best and then sometimes it's a bit of luck here and there."
That doesn't mean Els is going to settle for a season of top 10 finishes and no victories.
"I still feel if I play my best I'm pretty tough to beat," Els said. "I just want to try to do what's necessary to win."
Then he can start accomplishing other milestones.
"I've got my own little goals that I want to work at and see how far I can get there, just wait and see," Els said. "I can't really look into the future, but I can just try and work as hard as I can and try to win golf tournaments again. That's what I want to do."
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