Els raring to go in Sun City return

By Craig Ray

SUN CITY, South Africa (Reuters) – South Africa’s Ernie Els
is confident he can cope physically in his first competitive
round of golf in four months when he tees off at the Sun City
Golf Challenge on Thursday.

The three-times winner of the tournament, which is being
played at the 7152 meter par-72 Gary Player Country Club,
injured his knee in a sailing accident at the end of July
resulting in surgery and 20 weeks of rehabilitation.

“I feel good and the knee feels good today,” Els told
reporters on Wednesday. “I want to play well this week and I’ve
been hitting a lot of balls.

“I first played 18 holes a month ago at Wentworth and I
didn’t use a cart, I walked it. I felt very unsure the first
time I played.

“I was protecting the knee so I didn’t slip and when I
played 18 holes it was a little uncomfortable.

“It’s still a little uncomfortable but the doctor assures
me there is no way a golf swing will damage my knee. It tends
to swell up at the end of each round and that’s the worst part
really.”

The Sun City Challenge, which is celebrating its 25th
anniversary, has a field of 12 golfers competing for a purse of
$4 million and a first prize of $1.2 million.

Els is the local favorite but compatriot Retief Goosen is
the defending champion and highest ranked player in the field
at world number four. Els is still ranked fifth despite his
layoff.

Eight of the other 10 players are ranked in the top 20 with
only South Africa’s Tim Clark (20) and America’s Stewart Cink
(27) outside it.

DARK HORSE

Clark shot 65 and 64 in the 36-hole Nelson Mandela
Invitational in his home country last week and could be a dark
horse while twice winner Sergio Garcia of Spain will also be a
threat.

Els, however, believes double U.S. Open champion Goosen is
the man to beat.

“Goose had a great year so maybe he is edging ahead as the
favorite,” Els said.

“Clark has been playing really well but this week besides
Retief there is not anyone who stands out. The whole field is
really close and all the guys have proven themselves.”

Goosen predicted the scores would be better than in 2004
when he won the tournament with a score of seven-under 281.

“The course is very lush this year and a lot greener on the
fairways,” Goosen said. “The rough is not as high and the
greens are in great shape. The scoring conditions are good and
I think they’ll be lower than last year.

“I don’t think being defending champion makes any
difference to the way I’m going to approach the event. I hope I
can find my game because I haven’t been playing as well as I
can.”

The rest of the field includes Jim Furyk, Kenny Perry and
Chris DiMarco (United States), Luke Donald (England), Adam
Scott (Australia), Angel Cabrera (Argentina) and Darren Clarke
(Northern Ireland).