Els wants links test to prepare for Open

ERNIE ELS last night called on European Tour bosses to schedule a tournament on a links golf course in the week prior to the British Open Championship.

And if the Scottish Open can't deliver a suitable venue, there are many other options available.

The great South African refrained from mentioning Ireland by name but also made it perfectly clear that he would be happy to tune up for the Open at places like Portmarnock and Baltray, the homes of the 2003 and '04 Irish Opens, or at any one of our other countless available links.

The South African has little doubt that the Scottish Open would be a far more interesting and beneficial event if it was staged by the sea. Instead, it gets underway this morning over the beautiful lay-out on the banks of Loch Lomond boasting a €3.3 million prize fund, one of the biggest of the season, with Els defending but regretting the venue doesn't make for more suitable preparation for next week's British Open Championship at Royal Troon.

There could hardly be a greater contrast between the beautifully manicured lakeside setting at Loch Lomond and the rugged links land of Troon where Els took advantage of a practice round on Tuesday.

The South African's words must make it all the more galling for Nissan Ireland chief Gerard O'Toole who was determined to stage his Irish Open this year by the seaside and will do so at Baltray in the week immediately after the Open.

By then, however, Els and the rest will have departed our shores and with the possible exception of current British Open champion Ben Curtis and Englishman Luke Donald, the championship be largely populated by European Tour regulars with the certain absence of several of the bigger names.

O'Toole has expressed his expectation of gaining a better date in 2005 but accepts he can forget about this particular week.

Lyle Anderson's billions ensure that he will keep this one for as long as he likes and play his tournament either at Loch Lomond or, if Ernie Els had his way, over a fine links at Dundonald, which Anderson also owns.

It just seems a great pity that the stars can't roll up at a links in the days immediately before the Open.

For now, though, Els is more than happy to display his wide range of skills on the shores of Loch Lomond. He is acutely aware of the fact that no Scottish Open champion has gone on to win the British Open, which he hopes to regain after his thrilling play-off triumph at Muirfield two years ago.

Els goes into this event as favourite and with a best price of 5 to 1. He is followed by Phil Mickelson at 8 to 1 and Darren Clarke at 25 to 1, odds that certainly suggest this is going to be very much a two-horse race and a re-enactment of the climax to the Masters in April.

"There is no more beautiful place on a day like this," said Els on his arrival at Loch Lomond yesterday. "I've had a two week break and did not play any golf until Troon on Tuesday. I had a six-week stretch before that and don't believe it was a mistake because I contended at Shinnecock, won a tournament and had a few top ten finishes."