No image available
/ 24 January 2008
World number one Tiger Woods and second-ranked Phil Mickelson applaud the new PGA Tour drug-test plan set to begin on July 1, even though it means careful monitoring when playing abroad. Mickelson said he sees no doping problem in golf but wants the anti-doping programme to ensure credibility with golf’s audience.
No image available
/ 23 January 2008
Retief Goosen is hoping to become the first golfer to win the European Tour’s Qatar Masters on two occasions when the 11th edition of the ,5-million event gets under way on Thursday at the picturesque Doha Golf Club. The South African responded with a confident ”You mean not yet” when told that no player has won the tournament twice since its inception.
Ernie Els is to cut back on his hectic international schedule in a bid to win more Majors. The 38-year-old South African is known to be among the most widely travelled of golfers on the circuits, regularly globe-trotting to events in the United States, Europe and Asia.
No image available
/ 19 December 2007
It was the Big Easy of Old who blitzed round the Outeniqua course in 62 strokes in today’s first round of his own Ernie Els Invitational, which is being played at Fancourt Hotel and Country Club Estate. Eight seemingly effortless birdies and an eagle on the par-five 17th saw Els finish three ahead of compatriot Retief Goosen.
No image available
/ 14 December 2007
At about 6pm last Sunday, after the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek in Malelane, the usual happened. Ernie Els gave a loser’s speech at a time when everyone was expecting him to threaten Tiger Woods. Even John Bickerton was in shock after having to be hauled from the clubhouse to collect the R1,4-million.
No image available
/ 8 December 2007
South Africa’s Omar Sandys, a player little known on the international golf stage, carded a four-under-par 68 on Friday to open up a two-shot lead in the €1-million Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club. Tournament favourite and world number five Ernie Els of South Africa was in joint third place.
No image available
/ 5 December 2007
South Africans Ernie Els and Charl Schwartzel return to one of their favourite hunting grounds this week, both looking for a second victory in the Alfred Dunhill Championship beginning at Leopard Creek on Thursday. They are two of the bigger names in this €1-million event which forms part of the 2008 European Tour.
No image available
/ 2 December 2007
South Africa’s Trevor Immelman won the 27th edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge on Sunday, in spite of bogeying the final three holes at the Gary Player Country Club. He outplayed England’s Justin Rose, who blew up with a double-bogey six at the last, in what turned into a nervy two-horse race between the two players in the final round.
No image available
/ 1 December 2007
A terrific duel between Justin Rose of England and South Africa’s Trevor Immelman at the Nedbank Golf Challenge continued at the Gary Player Country Club on Saturday. Both players scored five-under-par 67s to share the 54-hole lead on 16-under-par 200.
No image available
/ 1 December 2007
Ernie Els believes he still has what it takes to catch Tiger Woods at the top of the world rankings. The South African is one year into his stated three-year plan to catch Woods, and believes he’s made significant strides towards this goal in 2007. ”I feel I’ve made some improvements,” Els said of Friday.
No image available
/ 30 November 2007
Justin Rose of England fired a seven-under-par 65 on Friday, which equalled the day’s best round, while South Africa’s Trevor Immelman signed for a 66 as the pair shared the second-round lead on 11-under 133 in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Heavy mid-morning rain before play started softened the Gary Player Country Club course.
No image available
/ 30 November 2007
This weekend’s Nedbank Golf Challenge has already made the headlines, but it is likely to be remembered mostly for the late withdrawals by big-name stars. First it was world number three and two-time defending champion Jim Furyk withdrawing on ”doctor’s” orders. Then reluctant genius Sergio Garcia said he needed to rest for three months.
No image available
/ 29 November 2007
Adam Scott of Australia and Trevor Immelman of South Africa both scored five-under-par 67s to share the first-round lead in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City on Thursday. English pair Justin Rose and Luke Donald are lying one off the pace on 68, with tournament favourite Ernie Els of South Africa, who is trying for a record fourth title in this annual 12-man event.
No image available
/ 27 November 2007
Three of the world’s top 10 golfers and eight of the top 20 will contest the annual Nedbank Golf Challenge over the Gary Player Country Club course at Sun City, beginning on Thursday. South Africa’s world number five, Ernie Els, who is chasing a record four victories in the 27th edition of the tournament, is the highest ranked player in the 12-man line-up.
No image available
/ 24 November 2007
South Africans Trevor Immelman and Retief Goosen are hoping their experience as former winners of the World Cup will give them an edge in the final round of this year’s tournament at Mission Hills. In Saturday’s fourball or better-ball format, the duo combined for a six-under-par 66.
No image available
/ 6 November 2007
India is set to become the next big golfing destination after the cricket-obsessed nation hosts two groundbreaking multimillion-dollar events in early 2008. ”It does not get bigger than this, not in India at least,” said Jyoti Randhawa, who earlier this month won the Indian Open before 7 000 adoring fans at the Delhi Golf Club.
No image available
/ 2 November 2007
Ernie Els’s miserable week continued with a second-round collapse at the Singapore Open on Friday, the South African’s 76 leaving him six-over for the tournament and likely to miss the cut. The world number four lost in a play-off to Australia’s Adam Scott here last year and came into the -million event as one of the favourites.
No image available
/ 1 November 2007
Phil Mickelson made a smooth transition to the rigours of Asian golf on Thursday to lurk two off the pace alongside KJ Choi after the opening round of the Barclays Singapore Open. The world number two, in a rare outing to the region, fired five birdies in his three-under-par 68 to remain in touch with a trio of overnight leaders.
No image available
/ 1 November 2007
Ernie Els has told Colin Montgomerie to stop ”shooting his mouth off” after the Scottish star hit out at the South African for skipping the European Tour’s season-ending Volvo Masters in Spain. ”I know where he’s coming from so it’s no surprise,” said Els in response to Montgomerie’s comments.
No image available
/ 31 October 2007
World number four Ernie Els lashed out Wednesday at the European Tour for ”screwing up” their dates by scheduling the 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.
No image available
/ 30 October 2007
Ernie Els is still on a high after rejuvenating his stalled career by winning the World Match-Play Championship this month, and he now wants revenge over Adam Scott in Singapore. The big South African put inconsistent form behind him to grab the £1-million winner’s cheque at Wentworth and it has fired him up for the Singapore Open.
No image available
/ 15 October 2007
Ernie Els rejuvenated his stalled career with an emphatic record seventh victory in the final of the World Match-Play Championship on Wentworth’s West Course on Sunday. A combination of inspired putting and creative scrambling saw the South African overwhelm Angel Cabrera of Argentina to claim the million-pound winner’s cheque.
No image available
/ 14 October 2007
Ernie Els moved a step closer to the million-pound winner’s cheque and an unprecedented seventh world match-play title at Wentworth, following a hard-fought semifinal victory over Henrik Stenson of Sweden. The South African will now play United States Open champion Angel Cabrera.
No image available
/ 13 October 2007
Ernie Els of South Africa remained on course for a seventh world match-play championship, with a six and five victory over Andres Romero of Argentina at Wentworth that booked a semifinal confrontation on Saturday with Henrik Stenson of Sweden. ”I played well when I needed to,” Els said.
No image available
/ 10 October 2007
World number three Jim Furyk will bid for a third successive Nedbank Golf Challenge victory at Sun City from November 29 to December 2. The presence of American Furyk was confirmed when the field of 12 was named in Johannesburg on Wednesday. British Open champion Padraig Harrington will also be in action, as will South African favourites Ernie Els and Rory Sabbatini.
Englishman Nick Dougherty took advantage of a disastrous 16th hole for Ernie Els to claim the biggest win of his career at the Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday. The overnight leader nearly squandered his three-stroke advantage as he bogeyed the opening two holes but he recovered to post a one-under par final round of 71 and finish on 18 under, two shots clear of Justin Rose.
England’s Nick Dougherty will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Dunhill Links Championship after firing a six-under 66 on the Old Course at St Andrews on Saturday. Dougherty, seventh in June’s US Open, has strung together a series of top-10 finishes on the circuit this season.
Hennie Otto moved into a share of the lead with Ernie Els only one behind him, in a solid second round for the South Africans at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews on Friday. Playing the Old Course under blue skies and bright sunshine, Otto posted a bogey-free 67 to share the lead with Peter O’Malley and Nick Dougherty on 11 under.
The Internationals, who outgunned the Americans in world ranking strength, were left to rue their dismal foursomes record after losing the Presidents Cup by 19-½ points to 14-½ on Sunday. Despite boasting nine players in the world top 19 at Royal Montreal Golf Club this week, the Internationals won a mere half point out of a possible 11.
No image available
/ 29 September 2007
Phil Mickelson and Woody Austin pounded Retief Goosen and Australia’s Stuart Appleby 5&4 in foursomes play to take the first point on Saturday for the United States in the Presidents Cup. The Americans have stormed back, Mickelson and Austin setting the pace with a crushing win and the US leading in all four other matches.
No image available
/ 28 September 2007
Three tense last-hole foursomes triumphs on Thursday sparked the United States to a 5½ to ½ edge over the Internationals at the Presidents Cup, matching the largest first-session lead in its history. The Americans nabbed the biggest first-session edge since they grabbed 5-0 leads on their way to victories over their non-European rivals in 1994 and 2000.
No image available
/ 26 September 2007
Tiger Woods has a history of taking on the home-nation hero in singles matches at the Presidents Cup, but Canada’s Mike Weir, a captain’s choice for the Internationals, is not buying into the talk. United States captain Jack Nicklaus raised eyebrows on Tuesday by suggesting Woods should face Weir, the lowest-ranked global player.