Ernie Els will be back at St Andrews, Scotland, in October, chasing a first elusive victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Twice Els enjoyed success as a member of the South African team in the old Dunhill Cup, the precursor tournament to the Alfred Dunhill Links, winning with Retief Goosen and David Frost, but that was almost 20 years ago.
Els said: “A win at the Home of Golf feels very sweet and I was lucky enough to experience that as part of the South African team. It would obviously be nice to have done that in the Dunhill Links, which is a championship I would 100 per cent love to win. Ever since they introduced this format back in 2001, with pro’s playing with amateurs, it’s been one of my favourite weeks of the year. I love Scotland, the fans are the best, and we get to play on three amazing links courses. It’s always a thrill to play the Old Course and I feel blessed that it’s been such a constant part of my career, not only in Dunhill Cups and Alfred Dunhill Links Championships, but in the five Opens that I’ve played there.”
The keenness is there, but Els is now 47. Does he still have the same appetite for the game now, as he did when he was winning four Major Championships between 1994 and 2012?
“I haven’t played my best stuff the last couple of years, but I still love the challenge, the practising, working hard on my game and competing. I’ve still got the hunger. Hopefully I can get something going soon, and then who knows. I still believe I have the game to win.”
Read the full interview with Ernie at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship official website: https://alfreddunhilllinks.com/i-still-have-the-game-to-win-at-st-andrews-els/
