ERNIE ELS: As I say, I'm getting closer. Today was very close. Physically I felt good. Mentally I was pretty good after my 3-putt on 15, I wasn't too good. I feel like I'm starting to get there, driving it much better and my iron play is getting there. So it might happen this week.
Q. Do you feel that after a break, it takes you longer than it used to, to get it back or are you doing it more quickly, to get back into it?
ERNIE ELS: I think probably a little quicker now. I used to just totally take time off and before the kids, we used to just go travel, myself and my wife. Now I kind of stay at home and every second day I'll go hit some balls and hit some chip shots, putts. It's a little better than it used to be. Still, as I said yesterday, if you don't play to be better, even though you might practice every day, it still takes you time.
Q. Could you go through your birdies, please?
ERNIE ELS: Birdied my very first hole. Made a nice 35, 40-footer down the hill.
Bogeyed No. 3. I hit a drive just in the left in the semi, hit 5-iron left of the green. I pitched it to about eight feet and missed it.
4, I made a birdie. I hit driver in the left rough, 5-iron, 2-putted from about 25 feet.
6 I bogeyed. I hit 2-iron just over the bunker and only had 120 yards, caught a flyer, just a light semi. I went over the green, chipped it back to four feet and missed it.
7 I birdied. 8-iron there to about 12 feet.
9 I birdied. I hit driver and a 6-iron about 10, 11 feet.
Then I 3-putted 10 from about 35 feet.
Birdied 12, hit a driver, 4-iron just over the green. Chipped it and tapped it in.
15, I drove it in the left bunker. Hit it just on the front edge of the green and 3-putted from 18 yards, 54 feet.
Birdied 17 and 18. I hit 3-wood, 5-iron on 17, 2-putted.
I hit driver, 6-iron on 18 and 2-putted.
Q. Is the wind the same as yesterday?
ERNIE ELS: Yeah, exactly the same. It's actually quite a nice day. I see it's starting to clear up a little bit. Conditions were absolutely perfect, really.
Q. This wind that helps you coming home, is that the easier wind to play in?
ERNIE ELS: Definitely. The wind we have now, you're playing 1 and 3 into the breeze and that's very difficult.
All of the short par 4s like 6 and 7, into the wind, but they are short par 4s. If it was blowing the other way around, then you'd play 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, dead into the wind, and that's difficult. That's why the cut is probably going to be 1-under par. Guys can really make up ground coming home.
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