SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 18, 2004

Ernie Els

JOE CHEMYCZ: Ernie, congratulations. Welcome back. You've been in the press room all week. We started on Tuesday with you and Michelle and all of the excitement and hype that surrounded that and then you capped it off with another playoff victory. Just talk about your day today.

ERNIE ELS: I felt good going into today. I felt my swing was coming around. All week, I was quite patient. I wasn't like that last week. So I worked on that even before the week started and today, coming into today, I knew I had to get off to a pretty solid start, just kind of play myself into the round. I actually had a number in my mind to try and shoot 64 because I say it was really calm again. I never really totally lit it up on this golf course this week.

So I felt it was there. Then I felt on the range I was swinging it nicely again today. I was feeling good. You know, solid start and then made some birdies around the turn. Played really well on the back nine, I thought. But then the 3-putt on 15 really killed me. I was three shots ahead and I just started the putt too far right, and the grain just kept taking and it went five, six feet by and I missed it returning.

But, I mean, Harrison, what a day. He really hung in there, played great. He had a tough couple of holes on 7 and 8, but he hung in there and came back strong.

Q. Can you talk about both putts in the playoff, the one you missed, I guess that you probably thought you should have made and then the one that you did finally make to win it.

ERNIE ELS: The second playoff hole, No. 10, standing over the putt, I couldn't but help myself, thinking about last year, when I made it across the green to win the tournament. I just felt, you know, maybe I'm destined to make this putt. I made four pars on that hole all birdieable putts and I missed them all. And I hit another bad putt. I misread it, pushed it to the right, and, you know, you don't get too many opportunities like that in sudden death. And when you do, you've got to make them. So I felt I definitely let one go there.

Then on 11, it's funny, you know, I almost had a similar line this afternoon, I was in the bunker and then I hit not a very good bunker shot out and almost it the same line. So I knew where the line was going. It was all the difference. I hit it right edge and it went right in the middle. So it was just a bad read and a bad putt on the second playoff and a perfect one next time.

Q. How far was the last birdie putt?

ERNIE ELS: The last one must have been at least 25?

JOE CHEMYCZ: It was 22 on the computer.

Q. AP has it at 30.

ERNIE ELS: I was going to say 24.

Q. How about the one on 10?

JOE CHEMYCZ: The one on 10 was a little over eight feet, nine feet.

ERNIE ELS: It was downgrain, though. I misread it. Should I have hit it inside left.

Q. How were the emotions different than last year when you looked to be dead in the water?

ERNIE ELS: Yeah, I mean, it was totally the opposite, wasn't it? Last year, I was left where Harrison was. I just said to myself get it on to the green somewhere. I knew I couldn't get close. And Aaron, what was he, 12 feet, and I made that putt. I didn't think Harrison was going to make his putt to be honest. I know you should always be thinking the other guy is going to make it, but I really didn't think he was going to make that and he just bombed it right in the middle.

I guess a was a little bit, you know, taken aback, I don't know. I was hoping for two putts. But nothing comes easy. You've got to always remember that. I kind of told myself that on the next tee. I had to go out and win the tournament instead of somebody giving it to me.

Q. This is your second straight win on this course. What's the secret to this?

ERNIE ELS: Just patience. I think I made three bogeys all week, one of them with a 3-putt. Obviously made a lot of good saves.

As I said earlier, I like this type of golf. You've got to -- it seems like you're not doing much, but just waiting for that one shot to happen for and you maybe one putt and it changes your round. You've got to drive it well here. You've got to really just have your all-around game here and you've got to shape the ball both sides. Iron play is important, everything; you've got to be on your game here to shoot well. And the wind stayed away.

So, I don't know, maybe next year the wind blows, maybe 7-under is a good score next year.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the putt on 18 in regulation. Is it difficult coming out of the shadow of the sky boxes into the sunlight, or no; is that any big deal?

ERNIE ELS: The third shot was the most difficult shot of the whole lot, when I laid it up short from the rough. They must have had a lot of water when it rained here and the fairway really has not taken very well. So it's a different kind of grass. You've really got to be careful on that shot. You can really just frog it in front of you. I was really trying to hit the ball and just trying to pitch it there within 12, 10 feet. I wasn't trying to hit the perfect shot. I just wanted to give myself a chance.

And then you've got to make the putt. It reminded me a little bit of the Presidents Cup; you know, you've got to make the putt. I was fortunate enough to get it on line at the right speed. That was a good feeling to make that putt because I felt the tournament was kind of slipping away a little bit the last couple of holes.

Q. Rumor has it Nicklaus was here ready to call it a tie if you missed that one on 11.

ERNIE ELS: No, I don't think that would have happened. (Laughter).

Q. Did you hit driver the first time on 18?

ERNIE ELS: Yeah.

Q. And why?

ERNIE ELS: Well, that's been my play. I'm really trying to hit that high hook and I've still got to hit that shot. (Laughing).

I haven't felt very comfortable with my 3-wood this week, to be honest with you. I just felt I had to stick with what I've done doing and try and hit that shot. As I say, I didn't quite pull it off, but I still had a bad bounce in the fairway. It was straight to the right. But I didn't feel good hitting my 3-wood in the in the playoff I went with a 3-wood and I caught the 3-wood right into the grandstands. Just shows you, I haven't hit that club very well this week.

Q. This is three years in a row that you've won relatively early on TOUR. How does that set you up for the year? Doral a couple of years ago, and then last year, obviously.

ERNIE ELS: Well, with my schedule, I have to, don't I? (Laughter.)

When I play, I've got to play well because I don't play as many tournaments as these other guys. So, you know what I've got a little more pressure on me when I do play; that I've got to perform. Because, who knows, I might be back in late February, early March, you know. That's just my schedule.

Next year, I'll change that schedule. I'll play a lot more on the West Coast and maybe I won't have as much pressure on myself. But I need to get off to a start because by the time I rejoin the Tour, the guys have made $2 million, $3 million already. So I need to play well when I'm playing.

Q. Do you think you would have ever discovered this tournament if it if had not been for the Mercedes?

ERNIE ELS: Probably not. You're right. That's a good question. Probably not.

Years ago when I stayed at home, I never even used to go to California for the Mercedes. I used to watch this tournament on television and I thought it was a nice look. I'm glad I came. I'm glad I won at the Mercedes, or I got into the Mercedes. This used to be a hidden, a little hidden gem. A lot of good players never used to come here now a lot of players come here. It's a great tournament.

Q. Would you advise Tiger to come?

ERNIE ELS: No. (Laughter.) Why should he come? He can stay in Florida. (Laughter).

Q. After the playoff at the British Open and then the Presidents Cup, do you think it's fair to say you were probably a little more relaxed in the playoff here than Harrison, who has never won on TOUR?

ERNIE ELS: No. You know, you've got to be careful. You know, these guys, especially Harrison, he's been around a long time. He's a hell of a player. He's ready to break through. He could bomb it with anybody. I knew he was going to be tough, because he wants to win.

So I never let my guard down against him. I knew he was going to be tough coming through the stretch and all day. The playoff, no. He wanted it as badly as I did. We both wanted to win. I think the Presidents Cup, maybe one or two putts reminded me a little bit of that. But it's good that you know you've made putts under pressure. So it kind of helps you in a little way probably, but you've still got to hit it on line and do all of that stuff. I wouldn't say I totally went back and just thought Presidents Cup, but I guess it did help, you know, making big putts under pressure.

Q. Is that the same shirt you wore here last year?

ERNIE ELS: Yeah, it was coincidence. Honest to God, I never thought of it. I'm out -- the third hole somebody said to me, "Hey, you've got the same shirt on." (Laughter.) Maybe that's a good omen. Maybe I'll wear it next year.

Q. How many shirts do you have?

ERNIE ELS: This is the only green one I've got. (Laughter.)

Q. Is it different emotionally when you get to the playoff? If I recall last year, you had to really play hard to catch up to Aaron getting into the playoff, this year, as you said, you might have felt like you really let this one get away because of 15. How does that change the thinking or does it start over again in the playoff? Are you haunted at all thinking, "Gosh, wish I had made that putt on 15 and let him back into it"?

ERNIE ELS: Right after I missed that putt, I knew it was big. As I said, I had 64 in my mind and I was right on track shooting 64. With my 2-putt there, I have two shots with three holes to play, it's a huge difference.

Yeah, I let the whole field -- I almost LET Davis in. He birdied 17. If he eagles 18, he's right there, too. I knew I made a big mistake. But I still had to just kind of stay calm, play the shots, just let it happen.

So, I'm glad I did that. I didn't lose my composure. I kind of just kept, you know, plugging away.

Q. Would you talk about the three-hole stretch in which you hit it to about a foot and you chipped in?

ERNIE ELS: Yeah, that was a good stretch.

Q. And he chipped in right after you did. Could you talk about your stretch, what you hit in?

ERNIE ELS: Well, I started on 11, he hit it really close on 11. He made birdie there. I made a good save there.

The next hole, I hit it in the bunker, hit it -- almost holed it, about a foot. And he chips it in from the front of the green.

Just right there, we started separating ourselves. We were three shots ahead of Davis. Then the next hole, I hit it right rough, he hits it on the green. I hit it over the green and then I chip it in. So, it was kind of game on again.

He parred the next hole. I hit it really close. I was really going good there. I hit a little 7-iron there to about three feet. Made that.

Then I had a two-shot lead and then, you know, I 3-putted the next, got a little bit excited, I think.

As I said, he was going to be tough and I knew he was going to be tough. He was going to stay there. He was swinging well.

Q. What did you think when you hit it to a foot and then he chipped in? What was your thought process?

ERNIE ELS: Well, what do you do?

Q. I guess you chip-in on the next hole.

ERNIE ELS: It's not like it was planned. (Laughter.) Yeah, you've just got to keep going. You know, there's a lot of holes left, a lot of golf left, but I could feel it was kind of becoming a two-man race at that time. It was kind of nice. And we both enjoyed it. He said "good shot"; we meant what we said, and we kind of enjoyed that little battle.

Q. Do you think coming back and making a good shot and chipping in is indicative of the fact of the patience that you were talking about?

ERNIE ELS: I think so, yeah. I felt that my whole game was there. A chip-in you don't ever plan, totally plan 100% a chip any-in. You try to get it as close as you can, hit it on line, and if it goes in, it's basically a bonus. I think, you know, he felt the same way on previous holes. But it was a good battle. It definitely felt very disappointed if I lost. So I can kind of relate to what Harrison is going through now. Always tough, sudden deaths.

Q. Your fellow countryman Trevor Immelmann won the South African Open, and he talked about how you have been an inspiration, as well as Gary Player. How much do you know about him, how terrific is he as a player?

ERNIE ELS: He's a great player. He got married now in December, so he's got that monkey off his back. He's truly totally committed to the game. He works out really well. He practices a lot. He's totally committed. He's got the talent, all of the talent in the world. I've seen him since he was a 4-year-old kid, and it's great to see him doing what he's doing.

I'm very good friends with him and I think he's going to be a force to be reckoned with. He's still going to play in Europe this year, but he'll be out here probably this year or next year.

Q. Do you look forward to having him as a Presidents Cup teammate?

ERNIE ELS: That would be great, yeah.

I don't want to think about Presidents Cup right now. It will be good. (Laughter.)

Q. Are you at the same level you were last year, even though you didn't win last year, talk about shaking rust off, do you see yourself in about the same position as when you started playing a year ago?

ERNIE ELS: I feel good. I feel that I made big strides this week. Especially from last week. It was basically just getting the mental picture right and getting it ready.

Yeah, why not? The way I swung it this week, I'm feeling confident again. It's a long hard battle all year. But why not, you know, I want to give it a go and see if I can contend in majors and do what I want to do, follow my dream and hopefully achieve it one day.

You know, I'm feeling good.

Q. You said the other day, I think you were 60/40 unlikely to play The Match Play; is that still the case and what will the deciding factors be?

ERNIE ELS: Don't know. We'll see. I'm traveling now. I'm flying to Thailand this evening. Got a week off there, spend a week there and I'm playing Bangkok and then I play at the Heineken. I'm going home from there. We'll see. I might be tired of traveling when I get to South Africa, or I might not be. We'll just wait and see. It's not a life-or-death situation for myself or the Tour. So, we'll see when we get there.

Q. You joked kind of over the last, you know, year or so, about Tiger when he's here or not, but does it matter to you one way or the other, do you enjoy it more? I'm thinking ahead to Dubai, for example; and as a possibility, he could be at Wentworth this year. Do you look toward that? Does it matter one way or the other?

ERNIE ELS: No, it doesn't really. But, I mean, still, Tiger is Tiger. You know he's going to be around.

But it really doesn't matter all that much. You know, when you play, you play. Hopefully I can play like this at Dubai when we meet again. So, who knows. I just want to try and get better and just stay on course.

Q. More worried about Robert-Jan Derksen?

ERNIE ELS: There you go. Geez, yeah, thanks for bringing that back. (Laughter.) What did he shoot, 65? Beat me by a shot. Thanks for bringing that up. (Laughter.)

Q. You say you want to get better, what do you think you have to do to get better, No. 3 in the world, what did you win, seven times last year -- what's missing?

ERNIE ELS: I'm pretty close. I'm pretty close to doing really good things. I just want to stay on course and just keep doing. I can get better. I mean, look at 15 today. You 3-putt when you shouldn't 3-putt. Then you make it really hard on yourself.

So there's still things I can improve on and I want to improve on and those kind of things I can't do trying to win a major championship. So I've got to keep grinding away.

Q. Not changing, but just keep doing the things you've been doing better than before?

ERNIE ELS: Yeah, the basic stuff is there. I've just got to, you know, just put it through a little better.

Q. Two weeks last year in Hawaii you left here as probably as the hottest golfer on the planet, do you do you characterize how you leave here today?

ERNIE ELS: What do you think? (Laughter.) You're only as good as your last win.

No, I feel good. Obviously any win nowadays, you take it and cherish it. I'm going to enjoy this one and I've got next week to think about, some other goals. I want to enjoy this one and we'll see the next week.

Q. Let me just ask you, before we get to the end of the year, does the Money Title mean anything to you with your schedule on the U.S. tour?

ERNIE ELS: Well, the way I'm playing, I really can't compete for the Money Title. I've got to change some stuff and I'll do that next year. If I keep winning, I'll have a chance but that's not really on the forefront of my agenda. I've got to try and win tournaments when I play, and I've got to try and win major championships and to be honest with you, no. Money Title, I don't think I can realistically probably do it. But, who knows.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.