US Tour: Ernie Els will tee-off in high spirits at this week's Tour Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, despite not having won on the US PGA Tour for more than two years.
The popular South African was a late qualifier for the limited-field, season-ending event after tying for sixth place at last week's Chrysler Championship in Tampa, Florida.
Els shot a one-over-par 72 in Sunday's final round at the Copperhead Course, just enough to book his place at East Lake Golf Club as one of the tour's leading 30 money winners.
"I think I'll be the happiest guy in the field this week," the three-time major champion said on his official website. "Normally I just go in there like it's no big deal. But earning my spot this year was really hard work."
Els learned shortly after Sunday's final round that he would have missed out on Atlanta had he bogeyed either of the last two holes.
"I would have finished 31st on the money list by $852 and missed the Tour Championship by one spot," he said. "It was that close"
The world number seven, whose last PGA Tour victory came at the 2004 WGC-American Express Championship at Mount Juliet, has produced seven top-10 finishes in 17 US starts this season.
Four of those have come in his last six events, suggesting he is close to his best form.
"I definitely need to pick up my driving, which was the weakest part of my game in Tampa," he added. "If I can do that and keep putting well, then maybe there's still a chance I can finish this year's PGA Tour season on a high note."
Els is among a field of 27 at East Lake that features seven of the world's top 10 players.
Two significant absentees, however, are 1999 champion Tiger Woods and 2000 winner Phil Mickelson.
World number one Woods pulled out of the event for the first time in his career on Friday, citing fatigue, while third-ranked Mickelson said before last month's Ryder Cup he would be curtailing his schedule.
With Canada's Stephen Ames also absent because of a back injury, the Tour Championship features its smallest field since the event began in 1987.
American Bart Bryant defends the title he won by a crushing six strokes at East Lake last year. The tournament starts tomorrow.
