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DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

March 5, 2005

Ernie Els

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

GORDON SIMPSON: 67, just one behind JimÃƒÂ©nez, but if you took that first green out of the equation, a very good day's work.

ERNIE ELS: Exactly. You know, if I look back on the 18 holes, I don't feel like I missed a shot, you know. I played really well today from tee-to-green. First hole, I still don't know what I did there. You're never too old to learn. You've got to respect the old game.

I did try on every putt, believe me. That was a tough putt, obviously. Two good shots, and then you walk off with a bogey. A good drive on 2, don't get it up-and-down. So a lot of things flying through your head at that stage, but I felt I played well, kept my composure so to speak, and I grinded it out. But I felt I really struck the ball well today.

GORDON SIMPSON: How do you see it going into the weekend? Obviously Monty is in the shake-up as well.

ERNIE ELS: Well, Monty -- the way Miguel is playing, you've got to play well to beat him. He's really playing well. Playing with him, I don't think he missed a shot either, today. Maybe No. 12, but he got it up-and-down there for par and he's just an old season campaigner, he knows what to do. He's had three really great years on Tour and he's really comfortable with his game. Monty, he's three shots behind, I'm one shot behind. You've got to play really well to beat him tomorrow.

GORDON SIMPSON: We'll take some questions, please.

Q. I know you didn't want to start that way, and Monty started with a bogey, as well, but does it sometimes focus in your mind early in the round to say, okay, let's get into it?

ERNIE ELS: Well, you know, hey, whenever I start a tournament or whenever I start a round of golf, I never want to bogey the first hole. I just -- that doesn't go down well with me. To make a double, when I've got to putt from here to you for birdie, that's just a disaster.

Definitely focused more on my putting and I definitely focused more on really reading the greens right and getting my pace right. So I definitely got my mind thinking a bit more.

Q. Do you remember the last time you had a 4-putt?

ERNIE ELS: Yeah, it happens every now and again, a couple times a year probably. Probably the U.S. Open I missed a 4-putt or something there, those things weren't playable.

Q. Can you take us through the four putts? How long was the first one and so forth?

ERNIE ELS: The first one was 18, 20 feet. Then my next one, I actually hit it firm. The practice green is a little quicker than the greens on the course, so I thought I'd give it a bit of a go and it went by only four and a half, five feet. I hit the next one through the break, too firm again and then I had about two feet. And then, you know, I think I missed that one, yeah, and then I tapped in. So I got closer and closer.

The second one I was lining up. The third one, I didn't line up, probably, properly. The fourth one I just guided into the hole.

Q. You said you got your composure back, was that a difficult process?

ERNIE ELS: Yes, it was, definitely. I felt good on the range, I felt good the whole kind of process warming up through the first tee, I felt good about it. I hit a hit good tee shot, good second shot; and a good tee shot on 2, but I was still definitely not thinking straight and hit my pitch shot a little bit too firm. Yeah, it took me a little while. Ricci had to keep talking to me.

Q. What is the most impressive thing about Miguel?

ERNIE ELS: I think he's very comfortable with his game at the moment. And as I say, he's played pretty well the last couple of years. He is where he wants to be now I think. He's playing in Ryder Cups and he's won some really good tournaments. I just think he's happy with himself and his game. He's really driving it well I think. He's driving it pretty straight. Everything is pretty solid. There's no weakness in his game at the moment.

End of FastScripts.

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