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Els, Garcia predict play-off
27/11/2002 21:39 - (SA)
Hannes van Niekerk, Die Burger
Sun City - Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia on Thursday predicted that chances were good for this year's Nedbank Challenge to end in a sudden death play-off.
The 22-year old Garcia became the youngest ever winner of the tournament last year when he beat Els on the first hole of the play-off. Three out of the last four tournaments ended in this manner.
"The world's best players are in action here. There is very little to choose between the form of the twelve players and I would not be surprised if it again ended in a play-off," Garcia said.
Last year Els started the final round with a six-stroke lead on Garcia, but a brilliant 63 saw the young Spaniard book his place in the play-off.
"That performance by Sergio simply proves again that you cannot afford to relax even if you have a big lead. That makes the chances for a play-off so much greater," Els said.
The South African is the big favourite to win his third Nedbank Challenge title this year. The preparation of the players for the tournament plays a big role in determining who wins and here Els has a distinct advantage over the rest of the field.
He has not played in a tournament for the last two weeks and chose to relax in the Bahamas and at Herolds Bay.
"I am well rested and that is important if you want to do well in this tournament," he said. He has won R45 million in the tournament over the past 10 years.
It is clear that the rest of the field sees Els as the man to beat. "Ernie's series of good performances here speak for themselves," Nick Price said.
Price should not be considered a no-hoper either. He is the only player to have won the tournament three times and since he changed his putter in May this year things started to come together for him again.
Retief Goosen realises that he owes his fans a good performance. "I know I'm putting myself under pressure for thinking that, but I want to do well. It is one of only two tournaments that I would be playing in South Africa this year and I want to do my best," he said.
No player has ever won the tournament on their first visit and the chances of the two Americans, Chris DiMarco and Bob Estes, and the Australian Robert Allenby to win are thus diminished.
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