Washington, DC
06 February 2008
World No. 4 golfer Ernie Els of South Africa will be looking for redemption when he tees off Thursday in the inaugural Indian Masters in New Delhi.
The three-time major winner is the biggest name in the field and will be trying to shake off the disappointment of squandering a four-shot final-round lead and losing to Tiger Woods at last week's Dubai Desert Classic.
After bogeying the 18th hole, Els ended up two shots behind Woods in a tie for third place.
The South African, known as the "Big Easy," will face strong challenges from both Asian and European Tour players. David Howell of England, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland are in the mix. India's Jyoti Randhawa, Jeev Milkha Singh and Arjun Atwal of India and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng are also entered.
This week's event is the European PGA Tour's first visit to India, and organizers are expecting around 20,000 fans to attend each round. The tournament is being played on the Delhi Golf Club, a par-72 layout that measures 6,414 meters. The winner receives more than $410,000.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP.