WENTWORTH, England, 28 May 2004 — Ernie Els made himself firmly at home when he shot a stunning eight-under 64 to take the first round lead of the PGA Championship here yesterday.
It put the 34-year-old one shot clear of Spain’s Miguel Angel Jiminez and Wales’ Stephen Dodd and two ahead of Vijay Singh.
Els, the world number three, whose home backs on to the Wentworth course, played near flawless golf as he chased the one major European trophy missing from his cabinet.
“I’d just love to win the tournament. I’ve come close a couple of times. I love playing here, my home course. Obviously I know it very well so I’m hoping for good stuff this week,” said Els on the eve of the tournament.
His wishes were granted when he went out in four-under 31 and the South African had no intention of letting up. A birdie on the last saw him come home in four-under.
Els was further woken up when he pitched in from 35 feet on the par four eighth.
Playing partners Paul Casey and defending champion Ignacio Garrido were also playing sparkling golf but neither of them could keep up with Els. Casey finished with a four-under 68 when he bogeyed the last hole and Garrido was five-under.
Garrido admitted he was afraid he was going to have a terrible round when he started off with a bogey. “I hit the worst three wood of my life,” he said.
The Spaniard said he was feeling under pressure because he was the defending champion but after the bogey decided he was just going to enjoy himself.
It worked. He birdied number two. “That settled me,” he said.
The trio managed to go round the famed Burma Road course in a staggering 17-under par. It was a day for birdies as Europe’s best made the most of the sunny conditions.
Jimenez, already a three-time winner this season, looked poised to overtake Els when he fired a five-under 30 but then cooled coming home, only picking up two birdies.
Singh began slowly, going two-under after nine but then picked up the pace to pick up four more birdies. He closed birdie-birdie despite failing to find the fairway off the tee both times. Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke turned what looked to be a nightmare round given the conditions when he reached the 11th tee two-over par and risking a weekend off.
