Nedbank Challenge: A nervous Ernie Els makes his long-awaited comeback from a five-month injury lay-off at the Nedbank Challenge in Sun City today. The South African has returned to his homeland to try out his left knee in competitive action for the first time since surgery in the summer after a water sport accident.
He is the top attraction in a star-studded, 12-man field who are competing for the €1 million first prize in the €3.4 million event, and despite weeks of rehabilitation and preparation Els will be apprehensive when he walks on to the first tee.
"I actually feel pretty nervous about playing again," said the three-time winner of this event. "I've spoken to a few guys who have had a similar experience to me and they all said the same thing; when you come back there's that extra element of the unknown, which we're not used to.
"But nerves aren't a bad thing. As a professional sportsman, you get used to channelling those feelings into your performance so that they help you, not hinder you. It's all part of the game.
"The knee is still a little uncomfortable, but I specifically wanted to make my return this week, in front of a home crowd and at a course where I've had a good deal of success," he said.
"I've hit a lot of balls in the past few days and weeks to prepare for this. Now the big test is whether I can make a score."
The world number five played his first practice round at the Gary Player Country Club over the weekend, and although he found the going tough, there was no complaints from the 36-year-old. "I'm just fortunate to have my health back, to be playing again. The last 20 weeks or so have been a period of reflection for me," he added.
"I'm lucky enough to have become wealthy through playing this game, but if you don't have your health you've really got nothing.
"I did find it quite tough walking 18 holes today, and at the end I was straining a bit, but my doctors are happy that everything is nicely healed, although I think I may be in need of another six months or so before I'm absolutely 100 per cent."
Els has entered the Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek next week and hopes to play in the SA Airways Open at Fancourt immediately after that, but everything depends on how the knee holds up.
"If it hurts I may have to skip next week, but I do want to play. I see this time in South Africa allowing me to carefully ease back into tournament golf before having a full go in 2006 again."
The big South African is cutting back his schedule next year after a disappointing showing in the three majors he played last season, where his highest finish was joint 15th at the US Open. He will still play at the lucrative events in Qatar and Dubai, but has opted to avoid the trip to Australia for the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth.
However, in the short term he must focus on meeting the challenge posed this week by fellow countryman and defending champion Retief Goosen, one of five others players in the world's top 10 competing this week.
Darren Clarke, Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald are Europe's representatives, while there is also the unfamiliar sight of four Americans - Jim Furyk, Chris DiMarco, Stewart Cink and Kenny Perry - venturing outside their Continent.
ON TV: Sky Sports 1, 9am-2.30pm
TEE-TIMES (Irish): 9:10 Angel Cabrera (Arg), Adam Scott (Aus). 9:22 Sergio Garcia (Spa), Stewart Cink (US). 9:34 Tim Clark (Rsa), Luke Donald (Eng). 9:46 Jim Furyk (US), Ernie Els (Rsa). 9:58 Kenny Perry (US), Chris DiMarco (US). 10:10 Darren Clarke (NIre), Retief Goosen (Rsa).
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