Els plans course change

Ernie Els struggled to explain what he called a “wacky, ridiculous, crazy” round of 72 at Wentworth today – and then revealed that he plans to react to criticism of one of the holes.

Els was hired by the Surrey club to toughen up the famous West Course, but no end of players have thought during this week’s BMW PGA championship that he went too far by bringing in water on both sides of the drive down the long 12th.

The North’s Graeme McDowell even called it the worst hole he has ever played.

The South African star eagled it with a brilliant three-iron to three feet today and is four under there for his three rounds so far, but he commented: “I think I will move the left side (of the ditch) back into the rough.

“What I wanted to do is challenge the guys, but I’ve seen some shots and had a lot of comments. The rest of the course is standing up very well, though.”

Els also eagled the fourth, which he has stretched to 552 yards, and had three birdies, but his card showed two bogeys, a double bogey and a triple bogey as well.

The triple came on the 396-yard seventh, where he was bunkered in two and four-putted.

“I’m making some numbers this week, it’s unbelievable,” he stated. “It’s hard to explain, but it’s the game I guess and it’s where I am at the moment.

“I’m doing really good things and really stupid things. I guess you try to be perfect and then when you fail you really go backwards.”

The round kept him level par and while he has won six times on the course in the World Match Play he will almost certainly leave tomorrow still searching for his first victory in the PGA.