/ 31 October 2007

Els lashes Tour for scheduling ‘screw up’

World number four Ernie Els lashed out Wednesday at the European Tour for ”screwing up” their dates by scheduling the season-ending Volvo Masters to clash with the Barclays Singapore Open.

Els leads the European Order of Merit by €222 000 from Ireland’s Padraig Harrington but is unable to play at the Masters in Spain this week because he had already committed to the Singapore Open.

It means Harrington, Justin Rose of England and Swedes Niclas Fasth and Henrik Stenson can overhaul him and claim the Harry Vardon Trophy — and there is nothing he can do about it.

”Well the decision was made last year. I signed a commitment with Barclays for three years,” he said.

”I played my first one last year, this is my middle year and I’ve got a commitment next year, so don’t blame me.

”I’d love to play the Volvo Masters but if they screw up the dates so be it. The European Tour knew that I’d got a three year contract with Barclays.

”I don’t make the decision on when the tournament falls so it’s one of those things. You can’t please everybody and especially when two big events like these are being played on the same week. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

The dates for this year’s Singapore Open were announced in May last year, some six months before the European Tour released their schedule for the season, giving them ample time to avoid a clash between two big tournaments.

Els said he brought the subject up at the World Match Play tournament at Wentworth earlier this month but has heard nothing since.

”I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago during Match Play and I haven’t heard any response in explanation. Somebody missed the ball, it’s as simple as that,” he said.

”We go where we need to go, and to play the Masters would be the wrong thing [for me] to do, I think.” – Sapa-AFP