Els in win-win situation

Ernie Els expects to be celebrating at Wentworth next month – whether he wins the Cisco World Match Play title for a fourth time or not.

The Open champion’s wife Liezl is expecting their second child on October 14, three days before the start of the championship which he won at his first three attempts from 1994 to 1996.

The date suits Els perfectly. He has homes in South Africa, Florida and Wentworth, but the Surrey base is where he and Liezl chose to have their daughter Samantha in 1999 – during the week of the Volvo PGA Championship on the same course – and now he can combine pleasure with work again.

Els is in Switzerland this week for the Omega European Masters which started today. It is the start of an extended stay on this side of the Atlantic.

“I’m playing the next three weeks, then the Dunhill Links (in Scotland the week after the Ryder Cup) and the World Match Play.”

The chance is obviously there for Els to extend his lead at the top of the Order of Merit to such a degree he is out of reach before he heads back to America.

“It wasn’t a goal at the start of the year to be honest because I didn’t feel like I was going to play enough events.

“Now I’ve changed my schedule a bit for the new baby, it would be great.”

Els claims he does not intend to return for the season-ending Volvo Masters in Spain in November if the top spot is still up for grabs – but Retief Goosen, winner of the money list title last year and second to Els now, does not believe him.

“I think he will play if there’s a chance somebody will overtake him,” said Goosen.

“Obviously it would be nice to win it again, but the next couple of weeks are key.

“We’re both playing them and if Ernie was to win one and I didn’t do well, then I could fall too far behind to catch up.”