Road map to US Open

Focus on Ernie Els: Even though he hates the moniker of "The Big Easy", it suits him perfectly. Ernie Els possesses an uncluttered swing, one that is ruthlessly efficient; and especially so when he competes on the European Tour.

The statistics don't lie: in four counting tournaments this season, he has never failed to finish outside the top 10 and features a first, a second, a third and a 10th-place finish and leads the money list with €929,045

Not only that, but the South African has the lowest stroke average (68.62), hits more greens in regulation (78.7 per cent) than anyone else, and takes fewer putts per greens in regulation (1.68) than any other player.

Els's appearances on the European Tour may be infrequent, but he tends to make the most of them. All of which should serve as a warning to anyone eyeing the top prize at the TPC of Europe.

Since his runner-up finish to Phil Mickelson at the US Masters (which counted on the European Tour Order of Merit), Els has played a further two times on the US Tour, finishing third in the MCI Classic at Hilton Head and seventh in the Byron Nelson in Dallas last week - "I felt I was hitting the ball well but not making enough putts, it was very frustrating," he claimed - and is using the TPC of Europe as the launch for an assault on the US Open.

In fact, Els has decided to take in a run of six tournaments - including next week's Volvo PGA over a course where he has his European residence - up to the second major of the season at Shinnecock Hills. "It's a long stretch, one that I haven't done for a while, but I feel like I want to play again and get ready for the US Open," he explained.

Els, who splits his schedule between the US Tour and the European Tour, where he won the order of merit title for the first time last year including four tournament wins in holding off second-placed Darren Clarke and third-placed Padraig Harrington, admitted he was frustrated with his most recent performance, in the Byron Nelson.

"You know, you hit the ball well over four days and all the frustration builds up because you're not putting well . . . sometimes it is almost more fun hitting the ball all over the place and getting up-and-down. If you can make putts, it makes it so much easier. But the times when you're playing good, and hitting the ball to 10 or 12 or 15 feet and you keep missing them, then it gets to you."

Els's decision to ease back after the Masters, where he finished a shot outside a play-off with Mickelson, has enabled him to regain his hunger for competition. But, even now, his mind slips back to what might have been at Augusta where he was on the practice putting green behind the 18th green when Mickelson rolled in his birdie putt to win.

"It was kind of hard to take at that moment . . . but, you know, Phil made his putt and hit two beautiful shots in there. Looking back, I played almost as good as I could and I just got beat by a better player on the day."