[ PGA TOUR ]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sony Open champion Ernie Els will play a round with Michelle Wie on Tuesday.
Els looking forward
to Waialae
KAPALUA, Maui >> Not even Tiger Woods has opened the PGA Tour season as back-to-back defending champion.
Last year, Ernie Els began the 2003 campaign with a record-setting victory at the Mercedes Championships, then flew over to Oahu to capture the Sony Open in Hawaii in equally dramatic fashion with a playoff victory over Aaron Baddeley.
Only Byron Nelson (1946), Lloyd Mangrum (1953), Johnny Miller (1974 and 1975) and Steve Jones (1989) have managed similar feats, something not lost on Els, who hasn't forgotten the feeling of leaving the island chain last January with nearly $2 million in his pocket.
"Yeah, it's good memories obviously, perfect start last year, 31-under-par," Els said. "It's a different year, one I've been looking forward to. I really had a nice holiday. I had five weeks off. It was good. As I said, it was a perfect start. It's always great coming to Hawaii."
Barring a miracle of Biblical proportions, Els won't successfully defend his Mercedes title. Unable to shake off the rust of the long layoff, the three-time major champion is back in the pack of the winners-only event. He had a brief run Friday by birdieing three of the final four holes, but struggled yesterday in the windy conditions. He is currently tied for 23rd at 3-under for the tournament.
Not that it means he won't be a factor on the tighter Waialae Course at next weekend's first full-field event on the PGA Tour. Despite enjoying the spacious Plantation Course that's friendly to those who like to hit long, Els has the kind of game that can go from a par-73 one week to a par-70 the next.
"I'm looking forward to defending at the Sony," Els said. "Any time you're the defending champion, it keeps you busy away from the course. But that's part of it. It's a good thing really, you know. It means you had a great tournament last year."
Els will head over to Oahu tomorrow and play a practice round with local amateur Michelle Wie on Tuesday. He met her at Wednesday's Mercedes Pro-Am and asked her if she wanted to practice with him before the Sony. While he hasn't seen her play in person, he described Wie's swing as beautiful.
"I think she's a phenomenal player," Els said. "I know her teachers well. Played golf with him, Gary Gillcrest, phenomenal talent. Playing on our tour at 14, it's a hell of an achievement. I'm still not sure what they're trying to prove.
"I think Annika (Sorenstam), another unbelievable talent. I said it before, if they prove to themselves, trying to prove something to themselves, great, everything for them. But what's the future? Are they going to go through tour school and play on our tour? I don't know.
"But it's a hell of an achievement for her at 14 to play with us. I mean, can you imagine? I played my first British Open at 19, and I was way out of my place. I felt so. But, you know, all power to them. I think it's good. I think it's good for the game. It's good for the global game, but I don't know where they're going with it."
That's about the only thing Els isn't sure about these days. Last year, he was asked whether someone could be the leading money winner on the PGA and European tours. He was the leading money winner on the PGA Tour early on, but wound up finishing ninth overall with 17 PGA appearances.
Ironically, he finished as the leading money winner on the European Tour with five victories. A wrist injury slowed his march on the PGA Tour, where he wound up earning $3.4 million.
"Yeah, I think it's possible to lead on both," Els said. "Obviously, if you get off to a start like I did last year, it obviously helps a little bit. But still I need to play a little bit more on this tour to get myself a bit of a chance. I mean, Vijay (Singh) played 26, 27 events on this tour last year (en route to winning the money title).
"If you want to do it on both tours, you've got to have a career year. I won the money list last year in Europe, and it was never on my agenda. But it's nice to know that I've done that. Every year, it would be something to win that."
Living in South Africa means a lot of air miles for Els, who has his own jet. Not that he's rivaling fellow South African Gary Player, who has flown more than any golfer in the modern era.
"I do it by the hour," Els said when asked if he keeps up with the miles. "I flew close to 350 hours last year. Probably nothing to Gary's standards. He probably flew 700 a year."
