Big Easy out to enjoy final fling with the US PGA stars in sojourn to Asia

PETALING JAYA: South African golf legend Ernie Els will be on a dual mission when he heads to Asia for next week’s CIMB Classic in Malaysia and the CJ Cup @Nine Bridges in South Korea.

The Big Easy, as Els is fondly known, wants to enjoy a final fling competing alongside the stars from the US PGA Tour before focusing his attention on the PGA Tour Champions when he turns 50 in 2019.

As the new International Team captain for the President’s Cup next year, the 19time PGA Tour winner is also keen to follow the progress of some of the new talents who currently feature in the team’s standings and will compete in the same tournaments over the next fortnight.

Els will make his fifth appearance in the US$7mil (RM29mil) CIMB Classic at TPC Kuala Lumpur next week, followed by a maiden showing at the US$9.5mil (RM40mil) CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges from Oct 18 to 21 on Jeju island.

“Honestly, it’s been one of my greatest pleasures, as a player and golf course designer, to have been able to travel extensively around the world and obviously all around Asia. It’s one of the reasons I’m very proud of my role as an ambassador and honorary member of the Asian Tour. It’s a special relationship for me.

“The first CIMB Classic in 2010 (where he finished tied fifth) also happened to be the first time I’d ever played a fourday golf tournament in Malaysia.

“The golf course and the setting were great and I remember everybody – the sponsors and the fans – really got involved and made the players feel very welcome.

“They’ve got a fantastic venue at TPC Kuala Lumpur, a very strong field and, for me, it feels like the perfect way to get the ball rolling on the new season.”

A recent thirdplace finish at the Fiji International has provided Els with the impetus to begin his 20182019 PGA Tour season on a strong note. The smoothswinging South African, who has also registered 47 international wins in his illustrious career, feels he can reproduce some good golf before he switches his focus to the PGA Tour Champions.

“It’s been a frustrating few years, not getting the results I’d have liked. It’s been pretty depressing at times. But my game’s been in much better shape than the scores suggest.

“I feel physically fit, healthy, and still have the desire to compete. I don’t want to make any predictions.

“This will probably be my last full season on the PGA Tour before we switch our attention to the PGA Tour Champions, so obviously there’s a big motivation to play some good golf, but I also want to try to enjoy it,” said Els, who is a World Golf Hall of Fame member.