Eager Els needs his Tiger test

When Tiger Woods flies into Dubai on Wednesday morning, he will find the massive figure of Ernie Els eager to greet him.

The South African former Open and US

Open champion is steadily rebuilding his

career after undergoing serious knee

surgery. And the chance to go head to

head with Woods in the Desert Classic

should give Els a yardstick by which to

measure his progress.

Today, he will start the final round of

the Commercial Masters in Qatar

confident he can bridge a four-shot gap

over the leaders Nick O’Hern and

Richard Green, of Australia, plus fellow

South African, Retief Goosen. Then he

hopes to use that as springboard for a

challenge on Woods’ virtually undisputed

supremacy as the world No 1.

"Tiger is Tiger," said Els. "And he has been

the best player ever since he has been out

here. But I want to get the best out of

myself again and the only I can do that is

to become No 1 in the world.

"Right now, it’s a little bit far off to think

about it, which is why I have thought up

a three-year plan which is more realistic.

"It will be great to see Tiger again next

week and it would be great if I can go

one better than last year in Dubai when

I lost to him in a play-off."

Els is certainly starting to talk a good

game again following his victory before

Christmas in the South African Open.

"That was big for me," he said. "I wish I

could have played another tournament

straight after that because I really found

my rhythm that week. Now I have got a

lot of good golf to look forward to this year.

I want to see if I can get that good rhythm going again before the Masters. I could

have a really good chance at Augusta."

Els, who produced a four-under-par 68

yesterday,pointed out that two years ago,

before injuring knee ligaments in a boating

accident, he won in Qatar, coming

from five shots behind on the last day.

There was also a sense of déjà vu in the

mood of Scotland’s Paul Lawrie,who won

in Qatar in 1999 before going on to win

The Open at Carnoustie that summer.

He is three shots behind the leaders and

confident he, too, can find a second win

for history to repeat itself when The Open

returns to the Angus coast in July.

"I have always said that the win in

Qatar in 1999 set me up to win The

Open," said Lawrie.