Ernie Els on course to make it a hat-trick of titles in 2010
Published:After a couple of seasons in the wilderness, it’s been a pretty good year for Ernie Els.
Els has won twice on the PGA Tour and is 8/1 favourite to make it three for the season at the South African Open.
After winning just one event from 2006 to 2009, Els ended his wait for a victory with a win in the WGC-CA Championship in March.
He continued his improved form with a third place finish at the US Open at Pebble Beach, before doubling his wins for the season with victory in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in October.
Els’ brilliant performance at the tight Pebble Beach course will serve him well at the Durban Country Club this week.
At just over 6,700 yards, it is relatively short by modern professional standards, with most courses now in excess of 7,000 yards. However, the narrow, undulating fairways make accuracy the key ingredient to a successful week – something the ‘Big Easy’ has in spades when playing well.
The event has been played for 100 years now and there have only been seven non-South African players who have won the tournament in that period.
Els has won the event four times – the last time in 2006 – and looks to be well worth backing at 8/1.
The other South African major winners in the field should not be ruled out either. Retief Goosen (8/1) and Tim Clark (8/1) can’t be discounted in an event where the home grown players have dominated for the last century.
A £10 bet on Els to win the South African Open pays out £80. New Ladbrokes customers can sign up here for a free £10 bet.
