A rejuvenated Ernie Els fired an ominous warning to the rest of the field ahead of this week’s Ballantine’s Championship, claiming he is relaxed and refreshed following a short break after the Masters Tournament.
The South African returns to Jeju Island, Korea, as one of the hottest players in the world right now, 12 months after he finished tied fourth at Pinx Golf Club.
Els re-entered the winning circle last month when won the WGC –CA Championship and then captured the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the US PGA Tour the following week. Those performance saw him named European Tour Golfer of the Month and he added a top 20 finish at Augusta National.
Els starts the Ballantines Championship as one of the in-form players, along with Volvo China Open winner and fellow Major Champion YE Yang and Anthony Kim of America, and he hopes a week off at his West Palm Beach home in Florida will mean he is refreshed after a wonderful start to the 2010 season.
“I haven't travelled too much this year, and I think it's helped my game,” he said. “The win in Miami was big for me. I got a lot of confidence back. And then obviously Bay Hill was a run on from that.
“Maybe I played a bit too much golf though. Maybe I should have taken the week off before the Masters because I was a bit jaded there but I still had a top 20.
“I went home Sunday night after the Masters and I was home all week. The weather was great. I was in the pool with the kids, did the school run in the morning and afternoon. I didn't touch a club until I came here on Monday. I did an SAP company day Monday. I practised yesterday and played today.
“So I feel ready to go now and I have a little easier stretch into the US Open. My reason for playing so much was to try and get some form in March, and it came rapidly and then I couldn't pull out of tournaments. That would have been unfair. “
Els is currently third in The Race to Dubai but can make up ground on leader Ian Poulter of England and fellow South African Charl Schwartzel with a strong showing in Korea.
“The weather was very tough but I had a good tournament last year” said Els. “So many people could win it last year, and my putt on 18 just missed and I missed one on 17 as well. But I had a very nice week last year. I enjoyed it
“There are a lot of slopes on this golf course. It reminds me a little bit of Hawaii a little bit with the slope and the scenery also looks like Hawaii.
“It's a golf course where if the weather conditions are nice, you can really make a lot of birdies. So it lends itself to attacking golf. But then if the weather is not good like last year, then it's just trying to play safe.”
