MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 12, 2001

Ernie Els

ERNIE ELS: Well, obviously I had a good day today. You know, I don't think I made a mistake. I didn't make a bogey. Hit most of the greens. You know, I just played a solid round of golf. I felt pretty comfortable out there. It's always nice when you know what to expect from the golf course, when the wind is blowing like it did the Front 9. Didn't have too many mysteries with the club selection today, which helped. Just played as good as I could, probably. As I say, I feel comfortable on the course. I've just got to go out there and play my game, kind of let it take care of itself.

ERNIE ELS: No, not really. You know, when you kind of get it going, you just try and ride it, you know, you just try just do the same things over and over again, just go through your routine, go through your pre-shot routinne and stuff, think positive. On this golf course, like I said yesterday, I think it favors longer hitters. You can be aggressive on the longer holes, try and get the driver out there. Got some room there. You know, from that point of view, yeah. I don't go out there, you know, thinking I've got to be more aggressive than I've ever been. I just try and raise my game a little bit more.

ERNIE ELS: I almost three-putted on No. 7, the par 4. I left my first putt from about 40 feet, left it ten feet short, and I made that putt for a par save. I must say, I probably missed three or four makable putts from inside ten feet. One on the 1st hole from about, you know, six feet. I would say one on 9 from about six feet again. One on 14. You know, a couple other ones (laughter).

ERNIE ELS: You're asking me (laughter)?

ERNIE ELS: Yeah, I've had many of those days. You should know that.

ERNIE ELS: Oh, yeah, yeah, definitely. I've had many of those days. I've been a professional -- what's it been? -- 11 years. Probably 30% of that time (laughter).

ERNIE ELS: Yeah.

ERNIE ELS: No, not really. Although saying that, you know, a regular TOUR event, you've got to try and beat, you know, 53 guys, and Tiger. This week you've got to beat 32 guys and Tiger. I guess in a way, just looking at the size of the field, it's got to be a little easier. But the quality of the players here, they're all winners from last year. A lot of them have won major Championships, really a quality field. You know, this one and THE TOUR Championship must be "your quality players."

ERNIE ELS: I think a little bit of both. Definitely I need to see, you know, what's going on with the leaders, the immediate leaders, kind of see who is doing well. I saw Vijay was doing great. I was actually walking off the second green, he was going to the 9th tee. I knew he was playing well. I was watching a lot of other players. Obviously, you need to know where Tiger is. You need to know what you have to do.

ERNIE ELS: Sure, yeah. I mean, the score boards are there, you might as well use them. You kind of look at which players are hot on the golf course. You know, if it's Tiger or David Duval or Phil Mickelson, they're all capable of shooting really low scores. You know, you need to know what's going on, I think.

ERNIE ELS: In a way, yes. I know how I played this golf course last year. I played it pretty well, you know. With the same breeze blowing again this year, it's very familiar to what we had last year. Although there's a lot of elevation changes on the golf course, you know, I can feel comfortable hitting a 9-iron 180 yards, you know. Guys who haven't played in these kind of conditions might not think they can get there with a 9-iron, you know what I mean? I feel comfortable hitting the shots that you have to play on the golf course.

ERNIE ELS: Yeah, yeah, definitely. The greens also you need to know how the grain is going, stuff like that. It was important to have played it pretty well before.

ERNIE ELS: Yeah, yeah, definitely (laughter). You know, I've done pretty hard work up to now, you know. I've played pretty hard up to now. You know, I can reap a little bit of benefits right now. I've got a four-shot lead ahead of three guys. You know, I can go out there and play hard over the weekend and see what happens. As I've said to you guys, I feel comfortable on the course. If I can continue playing the way I have been, you know, it's going to be difficult for him to catch me.

ERNIE ELS: No, I don't want to change anything. I want to play sensible. I want to play within myself. It's all about putting, you know. I think a lot of guys are going to get the golf ball on the greens; it's making the putts. Putting is going to be quite important.

ERNIE ELS: That's my partner, my 0-and-5 partner (laughter). Just thought I'd throw that in there. He's a good friend of mine, good mate of mine. I've known him a very long time. We'll have a good game tomorrow. Will be very competitive I'm sure.

ERNIE ELS: You know, I won a good tournament in December. You know, I've been playing okay for the last couple of months. I enjoy the course. So, you know, see what happens.

ERNIE ELS: What do you mean (laughter)?

ERNIE ELS: 3 was a pitching wedge to about five feet, down the green. I made that. The par 5, today I got the right club. Hit a 6-iron on there, back of the green. 2-putted from about 40 feet. No. 8, I hit a 7-iron to about eight feet. 10 was a pitching wedge about a good 15, 18 feet there for birdie. 12, I hit a 3-wood off the tee, pitched it into the green to about 18 feet again, made a good one there. 15, the par 5, I hit it in the right rough. Hit a 3-wood on the green. 2-putted from about 45 feet. 18 was a drive, 2-iron. 2-putted from about 55 feet.

ERNIE ELS: That last one was five, six feet.

ERNIE ELS: Yes. Before we changed to a bentgrass, at my club we used to play on greens like this in Johannesburg.

ERNIE ELS: Yeah, very grainy.