OWN CORRESPONDENT, Wentworth | Friday 3.30pm.
ERNIE Els made a belated start to his British PGA championship preparations on Thursday after becoming a father for the first time.
His wife Liezl gave birth to daughter Samantha in a Wentworth hospital on Wednesday.
”It’s our first child and we are really excited about it. I was at the birth and it all went off kind of easy. Everything is healthy and that’s the most important thing,” the big South African said.
Els, who bought a home at Wentworth a month ago, knows the West course well and won three successive world matchplay titles between 1994 and 1996 over the tree-lined par-72 layout.
”I really love this place and I play this course well. If I’m hitting the ball well, then I think I’ll be ok,” Els said.
Family man Els has decided to play a little less golf this year. He ended a five-week break by finishing joint fifth in the European Tournament Players’ championship in Germany last weekend. — Reuters