Ernie Els, fresh from a two-stroke victory in the Nissan Open at Riviera CC on Sunday, was planning a change of strategy yesterday for his next assignment. Els faces a first-round tie against former USPGA champion Paul Azinger in the inaugural Andersen Consulting Matchplay Championship at La Costa, tomorrow.
"In a strokeplay event, you set out by kind of playing yourself into position so as to make your move at the weekend," said the South African, who won a record three successive World Matchplay titles at Wentworth from 1994 to 1996. "But in this event, you have only one match a day and if you lose it, you're out of the tournament; it's goodbye."
He went on: "So you've got to go in there with a different strategy. You've got to be a little more aggressive. And I think La Costa is a golf course which is going to give up quite a few birdies."
No change was anticipated yesterday in the provisional draw announced last week, which was based on the assumption that Jumbo Ozaki would withdraw and a doubtful Tom Lehman would play. It means that world number one Tiger Woods faces a first-round match against Nick Faldo, who placed the US Masters green jacket on his young frame two years ago.
It also means that Ireland's lone representative, Darren Clarke, will have his anticipated battle with the 50th seeded American, Andrew Magee. As it happens, Clarke and Els are both drawn in the last quarter which is dominated by America's man in form, David Duval.
The outcome of the Clarke-Magee match is difficult to call, given that neither player has produced anything approaching his best form so far this season. Magee is currently 109th in the US money list with modest takings of $33,947 from four tournaments.
The 36-year-old American missed the cut in the Bob Hope Classic and the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am; was tied 26th in the Phoenix Open and finished in a share of 35th place at Riviera last weekend, carding solid rounds of 72, 68, 71, 70 for 281. But Magee can play, as career earnings of $4,917,334 and four US tour victories - the last was in 1994 - would indicate.
Clarke, who has extremely modest earnings of only £2,530 on the European Tour so far this season, knows he will have to sharpen up his game considerably. "All matches are difficult at this level," he said yesterday. "But the good thing is that medal-play form can count for nothing."
With $5 million at stake, the rewards are obviously considerable. But leading competitors will be more concerned with the prestige of doing well in this, the first matchplay event which can truly claim to have all of the world's best players in action. It could be termed a matchplay major.
Paul McGinley, who was tied 16th in the Qatar Masters last weekend, is taking a seven-week break from tournament golf so as to be with his wife Allison, who is expecting their first child next week. But it will mean missing only three tournaments - the Portuguese Open, the Turespana Masters and the Madeira Open.
"I don't plan to be idle," said the Dubliner. "I plan to do plenty of gym work and get in regular practice at Sunningdale." McGinley will return to action in the Estoril Open on April 15th.
