Els out to reclaim centre stage

Ernie Els has had enough of “floating around” and wants to become a big player on the big stage again.

Els goes into the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond tomorrow without a win in his last 36 events and having missed the halfway cut at both The Masters and US Open.

The South African’s 40th birthday is in three months’ time, but he says: “I’m not turning 50, I’m turning 40 – I think there’s a big difference.

“I think at 50 we might have a different discussion, but Kenny Perry’s 48 and he’s third in the world [fourth actually]. There’s plenty in the tank – I just have to go out there and get it going again.

“I feel like I’ve been kind of searching, floating around a little bit – so let’s get a little bit more drive and go.

“I definitely still have a burning desire to do well and win golf tournaments.”

Els also mentioned Vijay Singh, who at the age of 45 was the US Tour’s top money-winner last year, and referred back to the great Ben Hogan.

The American’s best season was 1953 when he won all three majors he competed in - The Masters, US Open and Open – at 40.

Els captured the last of his three majors at Muirfield seven years ago but since then has finished second, third, fourth and seventh in The Open – and he is hoping that Turnberry next week will see him back in the winner’s circle.

After revealing his son’s autism early last year, he devoted a lot of time and energy into promoting awareness of the illness and even moved the family base from Wentworth to Florida so six-year-old Ben could receive the best treatment Els could find.

Those efforts continue, of course, but you get the sense that the former world number one – whose current ranking of 23rd is the lowest it has been for 15 years – is now focusing more on his career again.

“Form-wise it hasn’t been a great year. But this is a nice time of the year for me, so I’m looking to turn things around.

“It almost gets tougher to get yourself motivated at times. But in some ways I’ve been searching maybe a little too much for the perfect swing, the perfect putting stroke, the perfect driving, stuff like that.

“Right now I’m still very, very dedicated to my sport. I still love it – it’s been in my blood. It’s what I’ve always done.

“I know I’ve got other interests, but I basically started all of those to have something to fall back on after golf. Everything is still driven by playing the game and by trying to perform.

“That’s still the number one goal. I still watch golf even on television - it’s a mad drug.

“That’s why I’m still trying. It will be very difficult to just walk away. I’ve been doing this ever since I had a memory.

“It’s not like tennis, where you play for such a short period of your life. Golf is a lifelong sport.

“I wish I could bring my social golf on to the tournament schedule. At Queenwood (in Surrey) I made seven birdies and two eagles.

“My swing feels pretty good. It’s just a couple of mental issues on the course - sometimes I’m not quite there for some reason and I need to work on that.”

Els will be reminded of past glories in the first two rounds this week. He is paired with Colin Montgomerie, whom he twice pushed into second place at the US Open.

Montgomerie was 46 earlier this month and has not had a top-10 finish for over a year. He is also down at 200th in the world, making Els’ side seem minuscule, but the Scot still believes he can hit the heights again as well.

Even though he finished poorly at the French Open on Sunday – four closing pars would have given him a share of fourth – the eight-time European number one was encouraged by the seven birdies earlier in the round.

“I still feel capable of winning,” he stated.

“There have been people won on this Tour older than me, and I still think there are a few wins in there.

“I’ve just got to keep going and believe in that. If I don’t believe it I will never win again.

“I made 19 birdies and an eagle last week, which is more than either of the players that got into the play-off. But I made 16 mistakes – and six is too many, never mind 16.”

The two who were in the play-off, Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood, have moved on to Scotland as well – and so has third-placed Ian Poulter.

The star-studded field also includes 20-year-old Rory McIlroy, Masters champion Angel Cabrera and a group of players over early from the US Tour like Colombian Camilo Villegas, Australians Adam Scott, Stuart Appleby and Geoff Ogilvy – at sixth in the world the top-ranked player in the field – South Africans Rory Sabbatini and Tim Clark, Americans Boo Weekley, Nick Watney and Brian Gay and, of course, Scot Martin Laird.