World number three Ernie Els is in buoyant mood for this week’s Tampa Bay Championship at Palm Harbour after winning his first title on United States soil in nearly four years.
The smooth-swinging South African shrugged off gusting winds in Sunday’s final round of the Honda Classic to seal his 16th PGA Tour victory by one shot.
Els (38) is eager to maintain his resurgent form when he tees off in Thursday’s opening round on the challenging Copperhead Course at the Westin Innisbrook Resort.
”A win is what I needed in order to really kick-start my year, so this couldn’t have come at a better time,” the three-time Major champion said on his official website.
”Being up there last week, in the mix, feeling the heat and knowing that I can pull off the shots under pressure, that is what it’s all about. It’s amazing what a win does for your confidence.
”Even before last week I was telling people how I was enjoying practising and spending a lot of time on my swing and the technical side of my game,” added Els, whose previous victory on American soil came at the 2004 Memorial tournament.
”My swing feels good, I’m driving the ball well and I’m hitting my irons nicely. Plus I’m holing some putts now.
”I guess you could say this recent win gives me even more momentum and enthusiasm for what I’m doing. There’s still an awful lot that I want to achieve in this game and I really want to push on from here.”
Pushed hard
Also competing this week is defending champion Mark Calcavecchia, who pushed Els hard at the Honda Classic before running up a double bogey on the 15th hole in Sunday’s final round.
”It didn’t go my way, it wasn’t my time,” the burly American told reporters after slipping back into a tie for fourth.
”I hit it in the water three times. I said that I had to keep my ball dry and, if I had done that, it would have been a very different story. I was looking for the ‘W’ [win].”
This week, however, Calcavecchia returns to a venue where he triumphed by a stroke 12 months ago to end a PGA Tour title drought of two years.
”It’s a hard golf course and those are hard holes out there, I made just enough putts,” the 47-year-old said, referring to his putting form at Copperhead last year.
”Winning is just a special feeling and I was happy the way I hit it, the last three days were magical.”
Apart from Els, four other members of the world’s top 20 are competing this week, fourth-ranked American Steve Stricker, Britain’s Justin Rose (seventh), American Stewart Cink (16th) and Australian Geoff Ogilvy (17th).
The Tampa Bay Championship, the second event on the 2008 PGA Tour’s Florida Swing, starts on Thursday. — Reuters