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By Mark Garrod Special to PA SportsTicker
Ernie Els, the match play king of Wentworth, has once again omitted
next month's Accenture world match play championship in Arizona from
his schedule.
While the world number five's 2008 plans are at this stage "subject to
change", the current absence of the event in which he has such a dismal
record appears significant.
In stark contrast to October's championship in Europe, where he has
triumphed a record seven times, Els has played the American version on
six occasions and has been beaten in the first round four times and the
second round twice. Not once has he made it even to the last 16.
The South African star, who did reach the semi-finals when it was
staged in Australia in 2001, stayed away in 2004 and 2005, but on his
return two years was toppled by Bernhard Langer on the opening day and
last February, despite the switch from San Diego to Tucson, was sent
packing straightaway once more by Welshman Bradley Dredge.
Els starts this season at the Dubai Desert Classic in three weeks' time
and then, according to his web site, www.ernieels.com, plays the
following week's Indian Masters and will not launch his American
campaign until the Honda Classic in Florida starting on February 28.
"You may notice it looks a little different to previous years" said Els
of his schedule. "This reflects my desire to try to gear my game around
the majors and the other big tournaments.
"To be honest, I think there were maybe times in the past when I've
tried to please too many people. Not now. I'm 38 and I need to think
about me and how I can give myself the best chance to add to the three
majors that I've already won."
Els admitted his goal is to win the career grand slam.
"The biggest single goal that I have left in this game is to win the
career grand slam - to win all four majors at least once - before I'm
done," Els said. "It's important I do everything in my power to make
that goal achievable."
Els is still short of the game which brought him those three major
victories and he remains a long way behind world number one Tiger Woods.
However, he is confident he can close the gap.
"It was around this time last year that I made clear my three-year plan
to catch Tiger at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings," said
the South African.
"Well, I've improved my ranking (he was sixth 12 months ago) but to be
honest 2007 didn't go as well as I had originally hoped or anticipated."
He had to wait until the match play at Wentworth for his first win and
when poised to add the Alfred Dunhill Championship in his home country
last month he finished with a triple-bogey eight to lose by one.
"Despite some of the disappointments during the last 12 months, I do
still feel that I have made some significant improvements," Els said.
"I feel that my swing is pretty sound right now. I just have to keep
working hard and in particular try to improve my putting, especially
under pressure.
"I watch someone like Justin Rose putt and, seriously, his putting is
fundamentally as good as Tiger Woods. I feel like I really need to step
it up to that level. I've had many times in my career when I've putted
as well as anyone - obviously, I want to rediscover that touch. I need
to."
Els know he needs to start winning tournaments quickly if he is to achieve his goal.
"I have got to start winning tournaments - fast," Els said. "If I can
make a fast start to the season, I believe second place is soon within
my grasp. I need to get there and then step it up again.
"I still want to believe that I can do it - there is no reason why I can't."
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