Els’ proactive approach is lauded

– Captain Ernie Els’, right, thorough preparation has renewed optimism in the international team that they can end 21 years of disappointment and claim only their second Presidents Cup, Australian Adam Scott said yesterday.

The US have dominated the biennial competition since it began in 1994 and Scott said Els, 50, had done his homework so the international team could get to grips with the Royal Melbourne course.

“Ernie, the assistants and the guys who have played here have really settled our first-timers nicely. I’m very optimistic,” Scott told a news conference.

“Ernie has done a lot of the prep work for us and kind of laid the foundations. I’ve had a good feeling about the way our team shaped up.

“I feel a very, very strong energy, which certainly over some of the past Cups we’ve been lacking. It’s not a lot of fun getting beaten all the time.”

The South African skipper, part of the international team’s only win in the tournament’s 25-year history – in 1998 at Royal

Melbourne – said he had been crunching numbers to see which golfers were compatible.

The preparation did not start there, though. Els looked to bring together team members playing at the same tournament on the PGA Tour for practice rounds.

“He’d see who is playing and he’d try and get guys together,” Scott added. “He’s been very proactive with the whole thing. It shows how much it means to him.

“He’s done a lot of things behind the scenes, including creating a new logo or emblem for our team to play under, something for us to get behind.

“It’s early days but it’s something that can grow. There’s a long-term approach, which I like.” –