Superstar Ernie to play more in SA
Brad Morgan
7 October 2004
South African golf fans are proud of the country's achievements on the world stage. For a long time the country's challenge has been led by Ernie Els, and in 2004 he has continued to maintain his standards of excellence.
While it is wonderful to see Els achieve success all over the world, South Africans would no doubt love to see more of him on local golf courses. It seems that wish will come true.
Speaking recently, after his fourth victory of the season, Els said he plans to cut back on his European PGA Tour commitments, while adding more events to his schedule in South Africa.
"I feel I need to support the people down there", he commented. "They're going to move their tour forward into November, December, so I'll try and do that too."
That is great news for South African golf lovers.
Moving above Tiger Woods
Els's recent first victory in the WGC-American Express Championship - over the weekend
of 30 September to 3 October - lifted him above Tiger Woods in the world rankings. For so long that would have meant the big South African assuming the world number one ranking, but instead it means he is now just behind Vijay Singh.
It has taken a record-breaking season, including eight US PGA Tour victories, to lift the Fijian to the top of the pile. Els's achievements could have been a little lost in the glow of Singh's amazing season, but they too have been brilliant.
Consider this: Els has recorded four victories in 2004, in the Sony Open, The Memorial, the WGC-American Express Championships, and the Heineken Classic.
Exceptionally good and consistent
Although he missed out on a fourth major title, his record was exceptionally good and consistent. He ended second in the US Masters, tied for ninth in the US Open (only after a collapse in the last round), finished second in the British Open after a playoff, and tied for fourth in
the US PGA Championships.
Compare Els's major record in 2004 to world number one Singh. The Fijian finished sixth in the Masters, tied for twenty-eighth in the US Open, tied for twentieth for the British Open, and then won the US PGA Championships.
Now, a shot or two here or there could have seen Els winning multiple major titles in a single season and his performances would have been feted as sensational. That is my point. The Big Easy's showing in 2004 has been superb - maybe fractionally short of sensational.
Ernie's challenge
There can be only one winner in each golf tournament, so it is worth looking at how close Els's challenge has been throughout 2004. Apart from the aforementioned tournaments - in which he recorded eight top 10 finishes - he has ended in the top 10 a further eight times. Four of those finishes were top five results.
Such consistency makes Ernie Els one of the most marketable golfers in the world today.
His results, combined with his affable personality, make him a fan favourite wherever he plays, and he truly is a world golfer, plying his trade far and wide, arguably as much as anyone playing the game today.
Behind Els's easy-going nature is a strong desire to win, and what he really wants - as he has stated many times in the past - is major victories. So he will be feeling in some ways that 2004 was a season of missed opportunities. But two of his wins were victories he had long sought.
Superb short game
His victory in The Memorial showcased Els's superb short game, as he needed only 100 putts during the event. It was the lowest number of putts ever taken in the 29-year history of the tournament.
After winning, he commented on his website, Ernie Els, "It's one I've been wanting to win for many years, so you can imagine how great it felt to finally achieve that
goal".
The other win he had long sought was in the WGC-American Express Championship. His comment on his website was: "Wow, it's good to finally win one of these things! The Amex is my first World Golf Championship victory and it feels great. I'm so happy."
Favourite tournaments
Els's opposition should not expect any let-up from the South African because he's having fun with his game. He reckons he's now heading into a part of his schedule that includes many of his favourite tournaments, and you know how it goes: if you do something you enjoy, you are likely to do it well.
Included in his schedule will be the Dunhill Links Championship, where he will get the opportunity to play along his father. Then he will pursue a record sixth victory in the World Match Play Championship, following his record-equalling win in 2003.
In early December he will participate in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City. It has been a favourite hunting
ground of Els in the past. He won the event in 1999, 2000, and 2002, and finished second in 1996, 1997 and 2001.
| 
