Big Easy uneasy about comeback Challenge

A NERVOUS Ernie Els makes his long-awaited comeback from a five-month injury lay-off at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City today.

The South African has returned to competitive action for the first time since surgery in the summer after a water sport accident.

He is the top attraction in a star-studded 12-man field who are competing for the €1m first prize in the €3.37m event and despite weeks of preparation, Els will be apprehensive when he walks onto the first tee.

“I feel pretty nervous about playing again. I’ve spoken to a few guys who have had a similar experience and they said the same thing; when you come back there’s that extra element of the unknown, which we’re not used to,” said the three-time winner of this event.

“But nerves aren’t a bad thing. As a professional sportsman, you get used to channelling those feelings into your performance so they help you, not hinder you. It’s all part of the game.

“The knee is still a little uncomfortable but I wanted to make my return this week, in front of a home crowd and at a course where I’ve had a good deal of success,” he said.

The world number five played his first practice round at the Gary Player Country Club over the weekend and although he found the going tough, there were no complaints from the 36-year-old.

“I’m just fortunate to have my health back; to be playing again. The last 20 weeks or so have been a period of reflection for me,” he added.

“I did find it quite tough walking 18 holes and at the end I was straining a bit but my doctors are happy that everything is nicely healed, although I think I may be in need of another six months before I’m absolutely 100%.”

Els has entered the Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek next week and hopes to play in the SA Airways Open at Fancourt after that but everything depends on his knee.

The South African, the most travelled golfer on the planet, is cutting back his schedule next year after a disappointing showing in the three majors he played last season, where his highest finish was joint 15th at the US Open. He will still play the lucrative events in Qatar and Dubai but has opted to avoid the trip to Australia for the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth.

However, in the short term he must focus on the challenge posed this week by defending champion Retief Goosen, one of five other players in the world’s top 10 competing.

Ireland’s Darren Clarke, Spaniard Sergio Garcia and England’s Luke Donald are Europe’s representatives while there are also four Americans - Jim Furyk, Chris DiMarco, Stewart Cink and Kenny Perry - venturing outside their own continent.