Ernie Els in 2010 Ballantine's Championship
A determined Ernie Els believes he can still win another Major and has made that his top target this year.
The South African superstar – who will return to Korea next month to play in the €2.2 million Ballantine’s Championship – is adamant he can still work his magic over the closing holes of golf’s big four tournaments.
“Yes, absolutely, I can win another Major,” insisted Els, winner of the US Open in 1994 and 1997 and the British Open in 2002. “That is what I’m working on right now.
“I’m trying to get my putting going as good as I can as that’s the one thing that’s holding me back a little bit, and then I’ll just work on my confidence and try and get it going."
“I’ve got all the experience in the world, I just need to let it all blend in and happen. I’m definitely looking forward to a Major this year.”
Els, 41, famous for his globe-trotting schedule, revealed he was cutting back on tournament commitments and relaxing more.
“I did that this year for the first time. I had a five-week break before playing in the Match Play [WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson from 23-27 February]. I normally play in the Middle East and on the US West Coast, but I had a nice break and took it easy.”
Els started this season with a bang, winning the South African Open Championship for an astonishing fifth time, and will be looking to make it third time lucky at the Ballantine’s Championship after top 10 finishes in the past two years.
“I had a chance last year and I didn’t play a good final nine holes,” said the world No.13. “So I’m coming back this year with the objective to try and win the tournament.
“It’s a prestigious event and they get a number of really good players, so if you can win, you’ve beaten a really good field. I would love to win, especially on a new course.”
The Ballantine’s Championship, to be staged from 28 April to 1 May, is moving to the prestigious Blackstone Resort in Seoul after the first three editions were played at Pinx Golf Club on the holiday island of Jeju.
Joining Els in Korea’s biggest golf tournament will be world No.2 Lee Westwood, his fellow Englishman and world No.14 Ian Poulter, and Korean hero YE Yang, Asia’s first Major winner.
Els insisted he would do his homework ahead of the event. “I always read up on who designed the course,” he confirmed.
“It will be a long flight to get there so you can do a bit of background research and start reading up on the designer and his philosophy.
“You also take a look at the weather report, so you start to familiarise yourself with what you might expect.”
Els, one of golf’s truly global players with more than 60 victories worldwide, was full of praise for Asian golf and the advances it has made.
“The changes have been huge,” he said. “I’ve been playing in Asia since the early Nineties, so I’ve seen some of the players come and go, but I’ve never seen it as strong as it is now.
“Golf in Asia has exploded, everywhere you go it is such a popular sport. They televise tournaments from Europe and the US and, of course, there is such a large audience.”
The 2011 Ballantine’s Championship will once again be co-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and Korea PGA.
Blackstone Resort, in Icheon, just south of Seoul, will host the event for at least the next three years. It is the first time that the exclusive venue – which opened only in 2009 and has just 300 members – has staged a professional tournament.
