Big Easy’s Wentworth worry

ERNIE ELS yesterday admitted he was nervous returning to the course on which he has had more success than any other.

The seven-time winner of the World Match Play at Wentworth is one of the men responsible for turning it into one of the most difficult – and controversial – tests anywhere to be found in golf.

After changes added 310 yards and 30 bunkers prior to the 2006 BMW PGA Championship, the latest modifications have altered all 18 greens and the famous par five closing hole now has a wide ditch in front which totally changes its character.

“I was quite anxious to get out there,” said the 40-year-old South African after flying in from Florida for the European Tour’s flagship tournament, starting tomorrow.

“Obviously you’re not going to please everybody. You’re going to have questions all over the place and it’s very easy to criticise something.

“I’m in the hot-seat. I’m the guy the guys can fire at, can throw their arrows at and if guys don’t like it, you can listen to what they don’t like.

“But this is our fifth major over here in Europe and it needs to have a bit of teeth.

“Players will have a little bit of a shock for a while, but they will find a way to score around here.

“When you master this course now, I think you’ll have a lot of confidence going forward and not be intimidated by any course.

“The most talk will probably be about 18. We wanted a little bit of drama – with the old green everybody was putting for eagle and it was basically a bit of a soft par five.”

Els consulted with Wentworth owner Richard Caring over the changes and confesses that they did not always see eye to eye.

“He, surprisingly, was very, very... how can I say, he got very involved. We had some great arguments and I lost a couple, but not too many. He pays the bill.”

The 18th is something of a compromise. “I lost that one – I saw it a little bit different, but we won the argument from a big lake in front of the green to having a burn.”

With the 12th shortened to a 490-yard par four, the overall par comes down from 72 to 71, but Els still believes that the winning score could be in double figures.

Last year Paul Casey took the title at 17 under. His 271 aggregate would be 13 under this time.

The players were out practising yesterday and, as expected, there were mixed comments.

Graeme McDowell, who played with recent US Tour winner and fellow Irishman Rory McIlroy, said: “My record’s not been great here, but your record now is inconsequential.

“This is not Wentworth. This is Wentworth Mark Two. I think there are 14 holes of improvement, but three or four which are question marks.”

They are the eighth, the 12th, the 17th – “I think they ruined that tee shot a couple of years ago” – and, inevitably the 18th, although he welcomes the fact that a forward tee may be used there to tempt more players into trying for the green.

Last year American Ben Curtis finished birdie-birdie-eagle-eagle. It will be a miracle if that is repeated.

McIlroy, who because of worries about volcanic ash decided to travel by ferry and car from home rather than fly, said: “Overall I think it’s great. It’s been designed for good ball-strikers.”

England’s Simon Khan, runner-up to David Howell four years ago, commented after he played the 18th: “I’m all for risk and reward, but when the risk outweighs the reward, that’s when you’ve got to question it a bit.”

On that, Els stated: “You have to hit a couple of great shots. The guy that goes for it, he’s got glory or a little bit of disappointment waiting for him.”

With that, he laughed. But not everybody will see the funny side.