Els out of race for top spot

Open champion Ernie Els today pulled out of the race to be the European tour’s number one player this season.

Els, less than £20,000 (€31,650) behind fellow South African Retief Goosen with three counting events to go, has decided he will not be playing in any of them.

On the eve of both his 33rd birthday and the Cisco World Match Play championship at Wentworth Els confirmed he is competing just twice more this year following the birth of his son Ben 10 days ago.

He will be seen only at the Tour Championship in America in two weeks’ time, then the Million Dollar Challenge in South Africa a month later.

That means he is giving two other big events a miss as well – the Grand Slam in Hawaii which is normally restricted to the season’s four major winners – and the World Cup in Mexico in December.

He and Goosen would have been the defending champions there, but they are both among the long list of stars not taking part this year.

“A couple of players spoke to me and wanted me to play the Volvo Masters, but I decided not to,” added Els.

“I thought about it, but my heart was never in it. I’ve had a good year and I need a break.

“When I did my US Tour schedule it was never in my head that I would have a chance to win the European Order of Merit. I have some other commitments coming up in America and it’s important to my career that I do those.

“My goal this year was to win another major and I’ve done that. Now my family has been enhanced and I feel there are more important things.”

Now the Order of Merit looks a straight fight between Goosen and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington when it resumes at the Madrid Open next week.

That was where Goosen tied it up last season, but this time there is every chance of it going all the way to the final round of the £2m (€3.2m) Volvo Masters.