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BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 17, 2004

Ernie Els

ROYAL TROON, SCOTLAND

STEWART McDOUGALL: Ladies and gentlemen, Ernie Els, 68, 7-under par for the three rounds, and up there at the top of the leaderboard. Ernie, a good place to be in, one round to go, how do you feel at this stage?

ERNIE ELS: It was hard work. I've played good for three rounds. I've had my ups and downs, I guess, like every guy on the leaderboard. But I feel good. I feel really good about the way I came in today. I hit some good iron shots coming in from No. 12 and got myself back into position. I made a silly bogey on 11, kind of a soft bogey. But I got myself back there and got a chance for tomorrow.

Q. Is being exactly where you are, the best position, you like to be on top of the leaderboard, are you nicely poised with one day to go? Is it exactly where you want to be right now?

ERNIE ELS: I think you'd like to be leading. But I'm right there. At the moment I'm only one shot behind. To be honest with you, a lead right now doesn't mean much, and especially if it's a 1-shot lead. I think anybody within four has really got a legitimate chance of winning tomorrow, depending on weather, obviously, again. But obviously you'd like to be leading, but where I am, I'm happy with where I am. I was only 4-under with six holes to play. I got myself back to 7-under at the moment. But a lead really doesn't mean a whole lot right now. We've got 18 holes to play. There's so much that can happen out there. I'm happy where I am.

Q. Wondering if you knew anything about Todd Hamilton's game before today and what you thought of his play?

ERNIE ELS: Yeah, I know Todd from Japan. I played there quite a bit in the early '90s, and Todd was quite a star over there. He won quite a few events over there and he was really pretty big in the East, especially in Japan. It took him a while to get his card on the U.S. Tour. But he was maybe a surprise to you guys when he won this year at Honda. But certainly from the player's point of view, he's always been a really quality player. And he's got a really good game for this golf course. He hits it quite low. He hits a driving ball, which you have to do here if the wind blows, and he putted very well today. And it seemed like he was kind of brought up on this type of golf. So he's a quality player. He's going to take some beating tomorrow.

Q. Thomas Levet is competing with you again, as he was at Muirfield when you won. If you can't win it tomorrow, would you like it to be Thomas, after what he went through in that playoff?

ERNIE ELS: You know, yeah, why not? I think he came so close two years ago, didn't he? And it was just kind of unlucky that he hit it into that fairway bunker, but he still made a great putt. It was really difficult. Yeah, I think I said earlier in the week that he probably deserves one of these. But maybe not this year (laughter).

Q. Ernie, both you and Phil have been very much in contention on all the majors so far, and I want you to comment, if you would, on how difficult that is and what that tells us about your games. And if you can comment a little bit on Phil who has never done very well on this championship and how he's changed his game?

ERNIE ELS: I think right now in our career we live and breathe for these tournaments. I know that Phil has really come along the last two or three years in the major championships. He's done well at the Masters and U.S. Opens, and actually at the PGA, excuse me. He's never done really well here. But he's changed his game, we can all see that. He's tightened up his swing. He's practicing differently. He's playing differently. And I think he's really playing the type of game that it's really going to get him in contention. If he plays this way for the rest of his career he can probably compete in every major championship he plays. He's got so much talent. He's basically found a way of playing major championship golf now. And there's so much pressure out there in these tournaments that to be in contention it takes a little bit out of you, and especially when the golf courses get really tough and difficult.

But as I said, I've really shaped my career to play these tournaments well. And that's what I live for right now.

Q. I know it's always exciting when there's such a crowd at the top of a leaderboard. Does it add a little something for you when you consider who's in the crowd, you, Phil, Tiger, Goosen?

ERNIE ELS: Well, when you've got those players up there you know you've got to play awfully well. Also what Retief did Sunday at Shinnecock, that was amazing, and Phil, to play that way on that course, on that Sunday was quite amazing. So whatever happens tomorrow you have to -- I have to play at my best and hope for the best, put it that way.

This is a hell of a leaderboard. This is quality players, players that have proven themselves throughout the years. And you've got some new guys that really want to break through. So I think it's set for quite a finish tomorrow.

Q. You mentioned Augusta. Playing with Retief, you're very happy to see your friend win, you'd be happy if he'd won it. What do you need to do differently than what happened in the last major when you were in contention at the beginning of that day? And secondly, what is it going to take to win tomorrow? You've mentioned there's Monty, as well, and obviously Phil Mickelson, a heavy weight leaderboard. What is it going to take to win tomorrow?

ERNIE ELS: First, I think, yeah, the Sunday at Shinnecock I was almost out of it after probably the 10th hole. I was trying -- I was playing and trying, but I was kind of gone. But I was rooting for Retief. It was a tough day for him, playing in front of the U.S. crowd, and especially with Phil in contention there. So everybody knew who they wanted to win. It was great for Retief. We grew up together. He's come through so good the last couple of years, I'm so pleased for him. We're really good friends. When I wasn't in it, I was trying to root for him.

Second, you've got to play tomorrow. Sunday is out of my mind. I want to play good tomorrow. I want to be in contention. I want to be there when it's happening. And I really came close, as you said, at the Masters, but got beat by Phil, who played great. So if that happens tomorrow, you walk away, you know, you try again. And maybe it goes my way tomorrow, who knows. But I'm going to obviously try my best.

Q. Sort of following up on that, Ernie, after Augusta and Shinnecock, do you sort of feel a Sunday at this year's major owes you one?

ERNIE ELS: I think you can look at it that way. I think you've got to put it this way, that to be in that position you've played well. Augusta, I played well, got beat. Shinnecock, played crap (laughter). I got a top 10 finish (laughter). So anyway, I want to believe that, but I'm going to play as good as I can, hard as I can, and see where it falls. Let's talk about it tomorrow. It's hard to comment on that.

End of FastScripts.

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