Thursday 25 February 2016 07:16, UK
Ernie Els is keen to make amends for his World Match Play flop with an impressive performance at this week's Honda Classic.
Ernie Els is keen to make amends for his World Match Play flop with an impressive performance at this week's Honda Classic.
The three-time major champion crashed out in the first round at Dove Mountain, losing 6&5 to Jonathan Byrd, but remains convinced he is in good form heading for the first leg of the 'Florida Swing'.
"I like the course here," he wrote on his official website of the PGA National layout in Palm Beach Gardens. "It's a Tom Fazio design, updated by Jack Nicklaus in 1990, and it has lots of room off the tee and big greens.
"I think it's a golf course that I can do well on. I feel like I'm striking it quite nicely and I just want to play some solid golf now."
Els has not won on the PGA Tour for four years, but added: "Some people can easily get on your case a little bit when things aren't going so well, but I don't ever take any notice of that. I've just got to keep fighting and keep working hard on my game.
"I'm now settled in for a long stretch of tournaments on the PGA Tour. I'll be playing my way from here all the way into the Masters. I really want to get back into the mix over here in the States."
World number four Els heads a strong field in Florida, with six of the world's top 20 in action. They are Englishman Justin Rose (7th), Spaniard Sergio Garcia (13th), Argentina's US Open champion Angel Cabrera(14th), England's Luke Donald (16th) and American Masters champion Zach Johnson (20).
