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HSBC WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

October 12, 2007

Ernie Els

VIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND

GORDON SIMPSON: Well, Ernie, seems to be getting like old times again, here we are in the semifinals, something you're very familiar with. Are you getting quite excited?
ERNIE ELS: Yeah, it's nice, believe me. Finding a bit of success for a change, you know.
Anyway, no, it's been nice. I'm glad to be in the semifinals, obviously. Andres didn't have his best day today. But he's got a lot of talent, and he's got a lot of game there. But I played consistent and I played well when I needed to, especially this morning. You know, I was a little out of sync with my iron shots this morning. My short game definitely saved me, made some good putts when I needed to, and got it up-and-down out of the sand a couple of times.
So I was fortunate to be 4-up this morning, and then I played really solid from tee to green this afternoon. I kind of, you know, I wasn't pleased with the way I played the latter stages of my match, you know, at 11, when I 3-putted, and 12 when I duffed my second shot. I wasn't pleased with that.
But was glad to get it over with on 13 with a long putt there. But all in all, I've got to be happy with the way things have gone.
GORDON SIMPSON: Do you think maybe your knowledge was worth a couple of holes there against the youngster, your knowledge of the golf course.
ERNIE ELS: You know, this morning, I played the course the way I know it. I knew I could get the ball in play off the tees, which I did. And, you know, he missed a couple of shots. I think if you ask him, he wasn't 100 per cent on his game.
So it was a weird match. There was quite a few holes which was given. I didn't finish the fourth hole this morning; he gave me a couple of holes. It was a weird kind of a match.

Q. A couple of birdies to start the morning, and then a couple of bogeys. What were you thinking at that stage?
ERNIE ELS: I had a perfect start. I made a long putt for birdie on the first. Hit a nice 8-iron into 2 and made that for birdie. I was 2-up with two holes, swinging it beautifully and made a beautiful tee shot on 3 and just pulled my 5-iron on 3 to the bunker.
Just, you know, yesterday I felt great with my irons and this morning I was just a little out of sync for some reason. I don't know if it's age or what it is. (Laughing).
That shot put a bit of doubt in my head for the rest of the morning, my iron shots. And then as I say, I was even through four holes after having the perfect start. But then I played okay from there, through to 18.

Q. Any of the guys joke with you at all about, 'It's not fair what you do on this course to everybody?'
ERNIE ELS: Yeah, you hear the odd comment here or there. But you know, I travel the world. I play in a lot of foreign places, and it's wonderful to be home and play a great championship like this at home.
So I'm very pleased, and, you know, it's obviously very comfortable. Maybe Dad should come and live here. There's a lot of property left that I can buy, spend some of the millions.

Q. Will you be planning more travel on Sunday, will you fly to the semi final?
ERNIE ELS: Yeah, I will see how everything goes this weekend. They have a nine o'clock start in France on Sunday. They have a slot into an airport there, close to the stadium. So everything is kind of organised to go.

Q. Good omen beating an Argentine player?
ERNIE ELS: Well, hopefully the team watched a little bit. (Laughter) No, I shouldn't say that. It's a totally different game. But I'm sure they will take this as a perfect inspiration.
GORDON SIMPSON: And another one lurking there, as well.
ERNIE ELS: Yeah, some really good players from down there. Angel is playing really good golf.

Q. So you live here, you've won it six times, you've resigned the course; Henrik reckons he's got a psychological advantage after Dubai.
ERNIE ELS: Oh, really? Well, he beat me by a shot there, so I'm sure he's got a big advantage. (Laughter).
It should be -- hopefully it's a good match. He's a good player. He's had his battles also this year. He's been a bit off. Seems like he's starting to play a bit better. So all of these matches are difficult to plan. You know, you've just got to go out there and play your golf and see if it's good enough.

Q. Is this your last event in Europe for some time?
ERNIE ELS: It seems like it, yeah. Yeah, I'll be playing in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, but on European soil, no.

Q. Wentworth again?
ERNIE ELS: Yeah, next one.

Q. With the way the weather was, did it remain very long, the grass was wet?
ERNIE ELS: Yeah, I thought playing conditions this morning was very difficult. The ball was very heavy. It didn't go any distance. It was coming up short a lot of times, and really it was difficult getting your yardages because it was very heavy. The ball wasn't flying anywhere. This afternoon it was a little better; it was a little warmer and the ball started going a bit further.

Q. What was all that buggy movement late on in the trees? What was going on there?
ERNIE ELS: I don't know. They were on their way somewhere. I don't know if it was the police or ambulance. They were in a hurry. Either they were on a drive going somewhere or something serious was happening, I don't know. It was a woman driver, you see. (Laughter).
GORDON SIMPSON: Don't say that when your wife's here. (Laughter).

Q. In stroke play, it seems difficult for a player to shoot a low round followed by another low round; yet this morning you had a low round; is it difficult to do that two days in a row?
ERNIE ELS: Yeah, you're right. Normally in stroke play, it's tough to counter a low round with another one sometimes. I think in match play, you're almost led by what the other guy does a little bit. And you don't really think about scoring. You know, you are almost trying to -- every hole is a birdie hole. And stroke play, you know, you kind of try and place yourself the first couple of holes and get into the round sometimes.
But in match play, almost every hole, even with a 3-iron into a par 4, you're still thinking birdie. So mind-set is different, and you're led by your opponent, what he's doing. If he's in trouble, you'd better make sure you don't follow him into trouble.

Q. Because you're not as young as you were, do you worry more the longer you go without winning?
ERNIE ELS: Without winning? Yeah, sure. I've had some barren spells in my career. 2001, I didn't win a tournament, you know, so I've had some spells. This is another little spell.
I don't feel like I'm playing too badly, and I'm doing things that is prohibiting me from winning tournaments. You know, last week I messed up on the 16th hole, and it seems like I've been close, especially in the majors.
Yeah, you think about it a little bit. I'd like to think that if I'll get the first one, you know, it can lead into quite a few other ones. So hopefully that is the case.

Q. Have you atoned, do you feel yet, for that 16th hole on Sunday?
ERNIE ELS: Yeah, I think it's almost been a week now. Through this week, in the middle of this tournament, so that's gone and will never come back. I wish I never did it but it's gone.

Q. The flipside of the negative, going to a positive, are you beginning to feel in the way that you did when you won those two lots of three in a row? Are you getting some of that vibe again?
ERNIE ELS: You know, I'm really stroking the ball nicely. My irons, I will say, this morning wasn't great, but I really feel my swing is where I want it to be. I feel my putting is starting to follow, I've made some good putts the last couple of days. And that's what you need to do, you need to have your short game sharp and you need to hit the ball solidly.
You know, that's all I'm trying to concentrate on, trying to play as good as I can.

Q. Does it help to recreate some of the feeling you had when you were winning?
ERNIE ELS: Yeah, whenever I play The Match Play, with what I've done in the past, I've got a good vibe. So the vibe's good. It's a positive vibe.

Q. Just on your schedule and the Order of Merit, I think if you win this weekend, you'd be at the top of the Order of Merit. Is that not a title that you would be looking to chase down or altering your schedule?
ERNIE ELS: Well, I've got two weeks off after this. I'm not sure where the European goes after this.
GORDON SIMPSON: Portugal and Mallorca.
ERNIE ELS: Who knows, there's maybe a ten per cent chance I will go.

Q. Valderrama, would you be tempted?
ERNIE ELS: You know, I'm going to Singapore. I've committed there and I have a three-year contract with them. It's one of those things. It's a pity that it's on the same week because I definitely would have played Valderrama, because there's no PGA Tour Championship or anything in the States.
It's just a pity it's the same week. It's actually quite crazy it's the same week.
GORDON SIMPSON: Well played again. Thanks very much.

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