Els hoping for better form

Ernie Els goes into this week's British Open desperately searching for an improvement in his own game and very mindful of the Tiger Woods factor.

The smooth-swinging South African has not won anywhere in the world since the Dubai Desert Classic in early March and knows he faces a tough task at Muirfield where world number one Tiger Woods is chasing his third successive major of the year.

"These days, you play the golf course and you play Tiger," Els said on Monday.

"You can beat the field but it doesn't mean you're going to beat Tiger. It doesn't really change anything you do. He's just a totally different talent.

"And it seems he's there every time. Even when he's five behind going into the last day, you get the feeling that he'll make something happen."

Woods is the overwhelming favourite to clinch his eighth major championship in just 12 starts this week.

Els, one of the leading contenders at Muirfield, admitted he had been forced to re-evaluate his own golfing goals since the remarkable American took the golfing world by storm in 1997.

That year Woods won the U.S. Masters by a record 12 shots at Augusta but, two months later, Els secured his second U.S. Open crown when he triumphed by one stroke over Colin Montgomerie at Congressional.

The South African, at the time, firmly believed he was on the brink of sustained success at the highest level of the game.

"After Congressional, I felt very comfortable that I'd win the grand slam and win all four majors at least once," he said.

'PRETTY GOOD'

"But it's changed a little bit since then. Before 1997, it was looking pretty good but Tiger wasn't really around then.

"I'm turning 33 in October and I reckon I've still got another seven good years ahead of me.

"But it's going to be difficult."

Els, whose only other major victory was his 1994 U.S. Open triumph at Oakmont, disagrees with former golfing greats who have criticised modern players for not standing up to Woods in major tournaments.

"When those comments were made after last month's U.S. Open, I reacted to it because I felt it was unfair towards myself and to some other players," said the world number three of remarks made by the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

"And I still stand by it. I work hard at my game and maybe I'm just not good enough.

"But I think it's unfair when some people from outside criticise you because you get beaten.

"We play a different game now and you don't see many fat bellies out there.

"Would they (former greats) have beaten Tiger? There's a big question mark there."

Els suggested that the Tiger factor in tournaments had perhaps not been taken seriously enough by some of the critics of the modern game.

ONE GUY

"If it wasn't for one guy, Phil Mickelson would have probably won two or three majors, David Duval would have won the Masters a couple of times and I would have probably won four or five by now," he said.

"At Doral (where Els won the Genuity Championship in early March), I had an eight-shot lead before the last day. I eventually won by two over Tiger and by six over the rest of the field.

"Another example is Nick Price, who probably played as good as Tiger at the U.S. Open (last month) but he just didn't have that length required on that course.

"He's only a 270-yard, 275-yard driver but he played great on a very long course to finish fifth."

More than the Tiger factor, though, Els is concerned about the state of his own game as he prepares for Thursday's first round at Muirfield.

"I felt my game was really on in the first quarter of the year and I won when Tiger was in the field (in the Genuity) -- and that always figures high in my book," he said.

"But I haven't got it back to my best since then. The shots aren't quite coming out as I'm visualising them.

"My swing's not tight enough and my ball position is here and there. I feel by Thursday I'll get something going."