Ernie Els vows to make up for self-destruction at Pebble Beach

ERNIE Els was hot under the collar after shooting himself in the foot in the final round of last month's US Open. He's cooled down now, though, and has his sights set on making amends for his Pebble Beach disappointment this week.

Els looked on course for a third US Open title, joining eventual winner Graeme McDowell in the lead in the final round with three birdies in his first six holes, only to drop four shots in three holes around the turn.

He finished two strokes behind McDowell after playing the last ten holes in five-over-par and was so annoyed that he uncharacteristically left the course without speaking to waiting reporters.

"I had the perfect start and just had to keep alive to probably be in a play-off at worst," reflected the South African. "I have so much experience that I know what not to do but I self-destructed."

Els was particularly annoyed with himself after running up a double-bogey at the tenth and admitted it had probably been best that he'd departed without talking to anyone, though yesterday he did make a point of apologising for doing so.

"I was little hot under the collar," he added. "But I feel I've got a good chance this week. I guess I've just been looking forward to this week since the US Open and now that I'm here, I'm preparing well. Physically I feel really good, I'm hitting my driver good, so I feel my game is really there.

"It's just for me to really concentrate and be 100 per cent focused on what I'm going to do this week. I feel I can do that - I just have to be more in control of my emotions than I was at Pebble.

"If I can get into position like I was at the US Open, I'd like to finish it off for a change. It's about hitting the right shots at the right time. I think somebody will win it, but I think somebody might lose it, also."

The winner at Muirfield in 2002, Els first played the Old Course more than 20 years ago but admits it's still a guessing game for him and the other players in the field as far as pin placements are concerned.

"This golf course throws surprises at you all the time," said the 40-year-old. "We're all trying to guess where they're going to put the flags as some of them change the hole so dramatically.

"Some of the short par-4s where you can drive the green, for instance. If they put the flag in a certain position, you can be 15 to 20 yards away and you might not get up and down for a birdie."

As a course architect himself, Els appreciates this week's test more than most of his rivals in the field. "It's just an amazing golf course," he noted. "As an architect you want to come here and play this course to see everything they've done and incorporate it into almost every course you build.

And, if you want to be a world-class golfer, I think you have to do something on a links course like this."

While conceding that no-one probably knows the Old Course greens better and putts better on them than Tiger Woods, Els won't be surprised to see a clutch of Europeans up near the top of the leaderboard come Sunday night.

"Through playing here every year in the Dunhill Links Championship, the European guys now know the course like the back of their hands," he said. "So I think you are going to see a big group of them on Sunday with a chance to win."

Els, who is looking forward to taking part in today's Champions' Challenge after missing out on a similar event at St Andrews in 2000, has started to do more work in the gym than he used to but joked that people shouldn't expect to see him taking part in a triathlon in the near future. "I'm just trying to keep the beer belly away," he joked. "I'm doing a little bit to keep myself in fairly good shape. As long as I can tilt my shoulders, I can play the game, so that's what I'm trying to do."

Meanwhile, England's Lee Westwood appeared not to be feeling too much discomfort from a calf problem as he practised at St Andrews yesterday.

The 37-year-old will have to play through the pain this week after a scan revealed he had ruptured the plantaris muscle in his lower right leg. It affects the follow-through of his swing when he twists his foot but it did not seem to be an issue as he played a fourball with Scotland's Andrew Coltart, Lincoln's Paul Streeter and Buckinghamshire amateur Tyrell Hatton. The world No 3 looked relaxed through his first three holes as he signed autographs and chatted with spectators.

Westwood described his leg as "all right" after a full round..