Ernie Els believes he has eventually found some form going into the Open Championship on Thursday at Carnoustie in Scotland.
Els, who has had a disappointing last 18 months by his standards, fired a closing-round 65 to finish third at the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond on the weekend.
Despite continued grumbling about his putting form, Els produced 11 threes on his final-round card, as well as an eagle three at the 13th to finish just one shot shy of a place in the play-off contested by Phil Mickelson and Gregory Havret.
Havret went on to win on the first play-off hole.
Nevertheless, the two-time Scottish Open Champion is content going into his favourite tournament, reports the Sunshine Tour website.
”I’ve been looking to get some form going into a Major,” Els said. ”I love these two weeks. They’re my favourite of the year. I’m hitting a new driver and hitting it nicely.”
Having birdied the 16th in each of his previous three rounds, Els dropped a shot at the short par-three that would have proven crucial in securing a play-off place.
”I’m a little disappointed about 16,” Els continued. ”I played well for three or four holes, then lost it a bit, then played another good stretch. It was kind of up and down.”
A British Open runner-up on three occasions, Els believes he will be a lot more focused than in 1999, when the Open was last held at Carnoustie. That year his wife had given birth to their first child, Samantha, just two months before the tournament.
”She was born in May that year and I was doing nappies and everything else,” Els recalled. ”I remember the golf course being tough but I was walking around in a cloud.”
The Big Easy believes that while Carnoustie will not quite be the beast it was eight years ago, it will nevertheless still provide a stern test.
”Carnoustie is probably the toughest links course we play. If the wind is blowing, which it will be, that closing stretch is as tough as it gets.”
”Take the 16th hole — probably the best par three I can think of anywhere in the world. Downhill you might be going with a six-iron, but it’s still very hard to hit into that green. Into the wind, you might be hitting a driver.” — Sapa