Els hopes to bag 4th title in S'pore<\/p>\n
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Singapore<\/p>\n
Despite his triumphs at two season-opening back-to-back
\ntournaments, Ernie Els of South Africa said it would not be easy
\nfor him to reap another victory at the US$900,000 Caltex
\nSingapore Masters at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club
\nbeginning Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"There are a lot of players out there so it will not by any
\nmeans be an easy game,\" Els, who is scheduled to play in an
\nexhibition game in Bali, Indonesia, the following week, told
\nreporters at the clubhouse.<\/p>\n
\"I just hope to do my best,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The world's No. 2 won the Sony Open in Hawaii last weekend in
\na dramatic game in which he was extended to a play-off with
\nAustralian Aaron Baddeley.<\/p>\n
Els' perfect start for this season began when he won the
\nMercedes Championship, also in Hawaii. The Sony Open victory the
\nfollowing week gave him two wins in a row at the start of the
\nseason.<\/p>\n
The last golfer to win the two season opener was Steve Jones
\nin 1989.<\/p>\n
Given his triumph at the Nedbank Challenge, which was last
\nseason's closing event in Sun City, South Africa, Els will be
\ngunning for four tournament wins in a row at the Caltex Singapore
\nMasters.<\/p>\n
\"It is a perfect and wonderful start and I want it to continue
\nfor the rest of the year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"But I will take it one week at a time. I have to keep my game
\nand discipline.\"<\/p>\n
The Andy Dye-designed Laguna is located on a 126-hectare plot
\nof land, and the 7,145-yard Masters Course, where the game will
\nbe held, is a considerably watery arena with 12 out of the 18
\nholes having water obstruction.<\/p>\n
\"The course is very tricky. We have to be very careful. The
\nrough surface, for example, is high so it would be difficult to
\nhave a clean shot.\"<\/p>\n
Els, however, was confident of his progress in the tournament,
\nsaying that he has been improving his game lately.<\/p>\n
\"I used to play well for two or three weeks but now I can
\nmaintain my game for a longer period of time. I have also been
\nworking with my swings,\" he added.<\/p>\n
In the Singapore Masters, Els will be joined by defending
\nchampion Arjun Atwal of India and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand
\nfor the first and second round on Thursday and Friday.<\/p>\n
Host Singapore has six of its professional golfers at the
\ntournament, with Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing having the better
\nchance to reach good results.<\/p>\n
In Bali, Els is one of four top international professional
\ngolfers invited to the US$100,000 Bali Invitational charity golf
\ntournament next month.<\/p>\n
Robby Henchman, from the event organizer IMG, said that Robert
\nAllenby, world No. 15, and No. 64 Nick Faldo would feature but he
\nhad yet to confirm the fourth player.<\/p>\n
The four will compete in a strokeplay golf exhibition on the
\n18-hole Nirwana Bali Golf Club on Feb. 9.<\/p>\n
The event will be staged as part of the national campaign to
\nhelp Bali recover from the ill-effects wrought by the Oct. 12
\nbombing tragedy, which took the lives of more than 190 people.<\/p>\n
The prize money will be distributed to the four competitors
\nwith the winner earning US$50,000, runner-up US$25,000, third-
\nplace US$15,000 and fourth-place US$10,000.<\/p>\n
However, the checks are to be donated to four charities
\ndedicated to the recovery of Bali.<\/p>\n
The organizers have also arranged a golf clinic and a Pro-Am
\ntournament on Feb. 8, which is expected to involve between 60 and
\n70 local amateurs.<\/p>",
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