Ambitious Ernie Els vows to do his best at Torrey Pines
After stealing the show at Volvo Champions last week, Ernie Els is now preparing to make yet another breakthrough at Torrey Pines.
Torrey Pines is going to stage the Farmer Insurance Open 2012, from January 26 to 29.
Els has already made up his mind about moving ahead, vowing to repeat the stellar performance he showed in South Africa.
The 42-year-old South African looked more than thrilled on the practice range on Wednesday, at Torrey Pines, California. Els is gearing up to participate in the Farmer Insurance Open this week.
Although pumped up by a runner-up finish at Volvo Champions, Els has plenty of things to worry about before he sets foot on the course in the Jan-26 event.
First off, he has seen his world ranking slip to an all-time low. He currently ranks 57th, thanks to his phenomenal performance in South Africa, which is obviously not something to boast about.
"I look at it now. I never used to. When you're comfortably in the top 10, top 20, you don't look at these things. Now, I'm on the other side of the wheel. I've got to play myself into events," Els said of his troubled position.
"I've got to get into the Masters, into Doral, into the Match Play. And that's fine with me. And if I don't get in, that's fine with me. I feel like I'm going to have a good year," he said. "I feel good about it".
Moreover, he is also worrying about whether he will be able to make it to the Masters and other two World Golf Championships in the next few days.
However, if Els manages to exhibit a good performance at the Famers Insurance Open, he can have a good chance to gain some assurances, which will help him find a spot in major events coming ahead.
Torrey Pines can be used as a springboard for ambitious Els, as it is featuring a good field this week.
As there will not be any leading players on the course, Els has a good chance to stand out among his rivals.
The only player who can pose a challenge to the rivals in the event is Dustin Johnson. Johnson currently ranks 9th in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Another key player is Phil Mickelson. Mickelson, standing at the 15th position in the world, has what it takes to strike fear into competitors.
Much attention has centred on the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship slated to start this week.
World's top players such as Luke Donald, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are gearing up to shine at Abu Dhabi, making the Farmer Insurance Open a much easier tournament.
"The Middle East made the most sense," Els said. "There are stronger fields, more points, and I need the points to get into the top 50 and all that. But I've made my decision. I've done that for so many years. It's important for me to be home now. And if
I play well here, I'll still get into the top 50".
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