Star draw Els faces battle to avoid missing cut

AFTER a day he would like to forget in a hurry, star attraction Ernie Els is in danger of missing his first halfway cut on the European tour for six years.

A red-hot favourite for the Qatar Masters in Doha - he is the only player in the world’s top 50 taking part - Els managed only a one over par 73 to be joint 81st after the first round.

The world number three, winner of the Dubai Desert Classic last Sunday, trails Swede Pierre Fulke, 423rd in the rankings after a nightmare slump since the 2002 Ryder Cup, by seven strokes.