Ernie Els trains his sights on the Masters

Ernie Els believes that having to qualify for this year’s Masters tournament will motivate him to get back to playing his best golf.

The three-time major winner, 42, has been eligible to play at Augusta National every year since his debut in 1994, but Els’ poor form last season resulted in him dropping out of the world’s top 50.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s Northern Trust Open in Pacific Palisades, California the former world No 1 said: “Obviously the Masters is right around the corner. I’ve never really been in that position where I had to try and qualify for it, because I’ve been fortunate enough to basically glide through and get in there.

“I’ve got to do some work, and I think it’s good for me. It will keep me focused, believe me, get me trying, and I think that that’s a good thing. I’m going to play quite a few tournaments now running up to Augusta, so I’ll give myself a good chance of getting in.

“It’s a motivation, but my goal this year is to really get back and play proper golf and maybe get back to that short putter.

“I think I’m close to getting back to that and playing the way I can play and I think if I do that the rest will take care of itself.

“[When] I started out in life, I wanted to be the best player in the world and win as many tournaments as I could. I got married and had a family, and your direction goes a little different way.

“I’m still a professional golfer and I still want to win golf tournaments this year and in the future.”

This will be the eighth time Els has played the Northern Trust Open, winning the tournament in 1999, and the South African, who has a successful golf course design business, is impressed with the layout of the Riviera Country Club course.

“I love the bunkering, I think it’s phenomenal,” he added. “I’ve played Riviera a lot over the years and it’s one of those classic old golf courses that I could never tire of playing. Riviera is a real ball striker’s golf course.

“It’s a wonderful golf course and they’ve got it in great shape now. I love the angles they have with their greens and the way the course flows – you’ve got to draw a lot of shots, fade a lot of shots.

“I like the fact that there’s not too much elevation change other than the first and 18th. But the greens are fairly small, so you’ve got to be accurate with your iron shots. If you miss a shot, you’re going to be penalised with the bunkers there.”

Els will be joined in the tournament by Sergio Garcia, and the Spaniard is equally complimentary of the Riviera Country Club, ranking the course as one of his favourites.

He said: “I love this course, it’s one of my favourites on the tour.

“When it plays firm, it’s one of the best we get all year and it’s got a mix of tough driving holes and some with small greens, small targets. And the putting surfaces are quite difficult. When they’re fast like they are now, they get very, very tricky.”

World No 1 Luke Donald will head a strong British challenge at Riviera, which includes Justin Rose and Martin Laird.

Phil Mickelson, the Northern Trust Open champion in 2008 and 2009, has always relished the challenge of the classic Riviera layout that winds its way through the Santa Monica Canyon.

“It is such a visually stimulating course and a verychallenging shot-making course,” he said.