DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

March 6, 2003

Ernie Els

GORDON SIMPSON: Well, Ernie, different continent but same position. Was it as straightforward as it seemed today?

ERNIE ELS: Well, yeah, you had to work a little bit. But, I don't know, I started my round, I birdied my first hole, birdied my third hole, and, you know, that kind of settled me a little bit.

Coming in here I felt that I was swinging the club quite nicely. Yesterday in the Pro-Am, and I hit some balls yesterday afternoon at Jebel Ali and felt like my swing was in pretty nice shape, and my back is feeling good.

So, you know, I felt good coming into today. I think the greens are rolling perfect like usual. That gives you a good chance to make some birdies. All I have to do is try to keep it in play and play my shots and try and make some putts.

All in all, I think it was a nice day. I made some good saves coming in. On the second hole, I missed my second shot right and to the bunker got it up-and-down. 7, I had to 2-putt from about 60 feet. 8, I got it up-and-down from the back of the green. So I made some nice saves. But all in all, it was a nice day.

GORDON SIMPSON: So often last month you've been at the top of the leaderboard after the first round, do you find that it's actually easier for you in that position?

ERNIE ELS: Well, you just play the best you can, and if you're at the top of the leaderboard, so be it. After the first, that doesn't mean too much. You obviously want to keep making good scores and see what the rest of the field does.

I'm just trying to do what I'm doing and see where I end up Sunday. I'm feeling good about my game.

GORDON SIMPSON: Open up to questions now.

Q. (Are you a target setter?)

ERNIE ELS: No, not really. I take every week as it comes, really. When I make my schedule at the end of each year, I kind of put in the tournaments that I want to play. So I guess self-consciously, I put targets in my head. I don't write my goals down or anything like that. I just take it week-in and week-out and see how it goes.

Q. (You don't think: this can be a two major year?)

ERNIE ELS: No, I don't think you can do that. I don't think Tiger does that. I think you've just got to go out there and just get your game ready when you're playing and feel like when you're game is ready -- that's kind of the mind set. I don't think you can sit down and generate, well, I'm feeling good today; I'm going to shoot this. I don't think it works that way.

Q. (Have your expectations risen?)

ERNIE ELS: Well, no, not really. I felt good at the end of last year about my game. Winning The Match Play and then the Million Dollar, and I felt things were coming around. So coming into this year, I felt good. What I want to say is that though my expectations have risen now, it's going to be the same week-in and week-out.

Q. (Are you going to prepare for the Masters differently?)

ERNIE ELS: No, I think the last three, four years have been very similar. I was struggling one year when I played the BellSouth in Atlanta -- and I think you guys were there, the weather was just awful that week. I said, I don't think I'm going to go back there again.

Every year has been -- well, I wouldn't say every year, but the last four years have been very similar. I've taken the week off before (the Masters) and I'd go down to the Bahamas and spend a couple of days there, hit some balls and practice there; then the weekend before we go back to Orlando and spend some time with David and get all of the stuff ready and then go up on a Monday.

The golf course is so different from the Tuesday -- even a Wednesday morning to Thursday morning. You've played the course so many times, you kind of know what to expect.

Q. When you are writing your schedule at the end of year what comes to mind when you look at the Dubai Desert Classic?

ERNIE ELS: Well, it's a little different. I would like this tournament to be earlier. It would make it a little bit easier because then I can finish off my European little campaign and just go do the Florida swing.

I just like coming here. I really enjoy the golf course. I like the way they set the golf course up. And we've signed a two-year contract with Dubai, for this year and next year. That's our objectives.

I like coming here. I feel the same with Johnnie Walker. I signed a three-year deal with them a couple of years ago, and I just like the way they set up their tournaments and run them. It makes it easier to make up my events in Europe, to make my 11 events up. If you have a choice, I might as well have the choice of making my choice about it.

Q. Did you do the 2 year deal this week?

ERNIE ELS: No, no. We did it at the end of last year.

Q. What happened on the sixth?

ERNIE ELS: On the 6th, we actually thought it was going in, but just kind of gave me a little look there. (Laughing).

Q. (What was your second shot?)

ERNIE ELS: I just pushed it. I was trying to get it really close and I just pushed it a couple of yards. 6-iron probably would have been perfect but I was trying to get it close.

Q. How many yards?

ERNIE ELS: 181.

Q. (Your second at the eighth?)

ERNIE ELS: The par 4, I had a little 5-iron. I had to keep it under those palm trees and got it up there. It was almost good. (Laughing).

GORDON SIMPSON: Ernie, well played again.

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