Can Ernie Els repeat?

Anyway, I travelled to Oakmont at the weekend, so I could get here nice and early and start playing some practice rounds. It’s a huge week for me, going back to where I won my first US Open way back in 1994. That was a big breakthrough for me. I was only 24 and to be honest, it was almost like a shock the way it happened. But I always thought I had it in me to win majors. And I always had dreams of winning quite a few. Man, what I’d give to win another one this week. That’s what I’m here to do.

My first impression when I got here was how different the course looks compared to last time. They have got rid of something like 5,000 trees, which counts for pretty much every tree that was in play in the ’94 US Open. It brings Oakmont back to what I hear is more like its original character and the result is absolutely tremendous. I really like what they’ve done.

They’ve put in some new bunkers, as well, which look great. And as you’d expect the course has been lengthened from the 6,946 yards – the length that it was when I won – to 7,230 today. You may have already read or heard about the par-3 eighth hole, which I think will play 288 yards on at least two of the four rounds. Yep, 288 yards. Depending on the exact hole location it might even stretch to 300 yards. That could be interesting, to say the least. It must be 25 years since I last hit driver on a par-3!

More from Big Easy's blog

Ernie Els is (over)due for a win

It is Monday morning and I’ve just got time to post this week’s website report before I head off to the airport to catch my flight over to Charlotte in North Carolina for the Wachovia Championship. This past week since I got back from Shanghai has been fairly productive; the weather has been great here in London and I was able to work hard on my golf game. That was obviously my main focus. My putting took up a lot of my attentions. I wanted to get down to some work and see if I could find something on the greens; you know, just a little thought or a feeling to help my stroke click. There’s not much wrong. I think basically once I start seeing the ball going in the hole, it’ll be fine. In some ways it’s a confidence thing, really.

The rest of my game is honestly in good shape. I heard from a friend last week that the great teacher John Jacobs had seen me play recently and he thought I was swinging the club better than I have for many years, which is good to hear. And as I said, it feels that way, too. I mean, I’m hitting the ball great. ***

[Quail Hollow is] a tough test. It’s almost 7,500 yards and the fairways aren’t that wide, so you need distance and accuracy off the tee, to give yourself a decent shot at the flags. Last year the rough was high. If it’s like that again you’re going to have to be hitting your ball on the short stuff to score well. I mean, with the greens the way they are, with a lot of undulations, slopes and run-offs, you don’t want to be coming in from the rough too often.

As I was saying earlier in this report, my game is in better shape now than it was this time last year. Back then, I was making way more mistakes; basically, playing well for 15 holes and then ‘falling off the bus’ as I sometimes say! My game now is a little more consistent. It’s not quite where I want to be, but it’s very close. I’m playing well enough to win; I just need my putter to behave. (More here)

Ernie Els admits great disappointment after missing Masters cut

From Ernie's blog: As you can probably imagine it’s hard for me to put any kind of positive spin on things when you’ve just missed your first cut in a major championship for the best part of seven years. Impossible, really. I mean, what can I say? It’s a major downer. To be honest, though, it makes me even more determined to get my game back to where it was four or five years ago, when I was winning all the time. I’d been working hard on my game leading up to the Masters. Weeks like this…well, they just make me realise I have to keep working even harder. That’s the simple truth of it. * * *

I just chilled-out with the kids all day on Saturday, basically tried to take my mind off golf for 24 hours. Then on Sunday morning I was ready to go. We took a flight from Augusta down to Hilton Head, where I’m playing in the Verizon Heritage Classic this week. I can’t let two bad rounds knock me off course. Augusta was super-tough and I didn’t perform, but it’s just two days’ golf. Overall I genuinely believe that my game is in as good a shape as it has been for some time. I’m feeling pretty good with a club in my hand; all I care about now is converting it into some good scores.

Ernie Els back in US

Ernie blogs on his blog:

Obviously, having last week off was also the perfect opportunity for me to be able to experiment with some new Callaway equipment. I tried a few different sets of irons, got myself accustomed to the feel of the HX Tour 56 golf ball, and also tried a few more drivers with various shaft and loft combinations. You know, changing equipment can at times be tricky, but I’ve got to say the guys at Callaway have been really helpful and they’ve put some great clubs in my hands. I’m pretty close now to settling on the final 14, so to speak. They’ll be in the bag at Bay Hill next week. ***

First to come in this run of tournaments is the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida. I won this event in 1998, when it was then known as the Bay Hill Invitational. They changed the name last year to honour the great man, which is fantastic. I mean, everyone knows this is Arnold’s tournament. He’s a legend of the game and you know, if anyone deserves a tournament to be named after them it’s him. I think he’s been an inspiration to everyone who plays this game. Honestly, I look forward to playing here every year.

Ernie Els leaves Titleist -- is Callaway next?

Ernie Els bagged out on Titleist a year early. Speculation is that he is heading to Callaway to join Phil Mickelson. They will then have another thing in common, besides losing to Tiger. More here.

Ernie Els called Rich Beem's hole-in-one

Ernie Els blogs in:

"And it was a fun day out there – you know, beautiful weather, playing nicely, and Rich Beem made an ace on the par-3 14th to win a red sports car. I said to him “that’s a one” when the ball was in mid-flight! It was a great looking shot. The prize car was parked right next to the tee and when the ball went in the hole he jumped on the car so hard I thought he might go through the window or something. Maybe if I’d have tried that I would have gone through the window!

"Now I want to put in a strong performance at this week’s WGC Accenture Matchplay. To be honest, it hasn’t been a great tournament for me in the last five or six years at La Costa, but I think a change in venue might do me good. This year we’re in Tucson at Dove Mountain’s South Course.

"I’m seeded No.2 in the Ben Hogan bracket, playing against Bradley Dredge in Wednesday’s first round match. I’m looking forward to it. As I said earlier, hopefully the change in venue brings a change in fortunes for me in this tournament."

Ernie Els blogs in about Nissan Open

"As with last year, my PGA Tour season gets underway this week with the Nissan Open at the Riviera Country Club in California. In fact, last year this was my first PGA Tour event in more than six months, obviously due to my knee injury putting me out of action. But now, as I did then, I come back to Riviera with high expectations. It’s a golf course that I have won on before, in the 1999 Nissan Open, where I shot 14-under. Also, going back a bit further to the 1995 PGA Championship, I played great here to shoot 16-under for the first three rounds. I feel very positive. * * *

"Anyway, I’m dictating this report on Sunday morning just before I get ready to leave the house at Wentworth and fly out to California. I’m flying out a bit earlier than I would normally, basically so I can spend an extra day or two working on my game. It feels in good shape but, as I said in the introduction to this report, I didn’t get a chance to play as much golf last week as I would have ideally liked. Getting out to the California sunshine will soon put that right, though."

More from Ernie Els blog.

Ernie Els beats Tiger Woods, but loses to Henrik Stenson

In Dubai, things did not turn out as we expected. Both Ernie Els and Tiger Woods struggled on the front nine, due to blustery winds -- Ernie bogeyed 3 of the first 6 holes, while Tiger bogeyed 3 of the first 11 holes. Ernie ended up shooting 1-under, while Tiger shot 3-under. Ernie finished at -18, Tiger at -17.

But that left the door open for Henrik Stenson, who shot a 4-under to finish at -19. Stenson had local knowledge because he now lives in Dubai and is a member of the golf club where the tourney is played. But Stenson did face one dangeous moment. According to ESPN, "On the ninth hole, his drive to the green got blown onto the roof of a spectators' pavilion. The referee forced the Swede to make a precarious climb to the roof to identify his ball before allowing him a penalty-free drop. Stenson said he scraped his ribs making the climb." Ouch. Next time, send your caddy! Leaderboard.

Ernie Els takes 2-shot lead, has 3-stroke lead on Tiger

I love it when people talk smack and then back it up. At the start of the week, Ernie Els expressed his clear desire to beat Tiger in Dubai this week. So far, so good. Ernie is at -17 after the 3rd round after shooting 4-under today. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods shot 5-under, and is 3 back at -14. Leaderboard

OK, so if Ernie has a 3-stroke lead over Tiger going into Sunday, who would you pick?

Dubai: Els comes out firing -- right at you, Tiger

Ernie Els looks like he has something to prove this year. Today, he opened with a 6-under 66, which is one stroke back of the leaders Graeme McDowell and Ross Fisher as the Dubai Dessert Classic.

Tiger Woods is 4-under, with a 68, and appears to have everyone just where he wants them. Leaderboard