Ernie Els is determined to put past disappointments behind him when he tees it up in this week's Accenture Match Play.
Watch all five days of the WGC-Accenture World Match Play live on Sky Sports, starting Wednesday at 7pm on Sky Sports 3
Ernie Els is determined to put past disappointments behind him when he tees it up in this week's Accenture Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain.
The South African made a late decision to play in Arizona having originally left the World Golf Championship event off his schedule.
Rested and refreshed following a lengthy winter break, Els insists he heads into the event in the right frame of mind to put right a dismal record that has seen him progress past the second round just once in seven previous attempts.
"I had a nice long break in December and January and I felt like I had enough rest, so to speak," he stated.
"To be honest, my record is not great. I haven't had my game in previous years and was waiting for other guys to make mistakes and they haven't made mistakes.
"They kept beating me, so I've got to have a bit of a different mindset coming in. I've been here since Sunday, so I've been doing a bit of work on my game. I'm striking the ball quite nicely."
However, it is not just his Dove Mountain demons that he will have to overcome, but also those created by some high-profile recent losses.
There was his inexplicable final hole meltdown at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December when he made a triple-bogey at the 72nd needing just a bogey or better to secure victory.
Then last month at the Dubai Desert Classic at the final hole again he found water with his second to hand victory to Tiger Woods.
Els admits that both defeats hurt, but is adamant he can bounce back and post big victories once again.
"Those two tournaments I really should have won but, to be honest with you, I've taken some big blows in the last four or five years, so it's something I know I can overcome," he continued.
"I really want to get into the mix here in the States and really get close to winning tournaments, or even giving myself a chance.
"I think if I can get over that little hill, things will go smoother, but it's been a tough couple of years. I've got to keep going, keep fighting and keep working on my game."
The 38-year-old should be able to draw some solace from his incredible World Match Play Championship record at Wentworth where he has won an unprecedented seven times - the last coming back in October.
But he's knows that event, held in his own back yard, is a different kettle of fish and conceded as much when asked to explain the discrepancy in his records.
"At Wentworth it's a totally different format (each match over 36 holes instead of 18), a different course, different circumstances," he added.
"I think a major influence might be because I'm sleeping in my own bed. I don't have to fly 12 hours to get there."
However, having decided to make the jaunt out to the desert in Arizona, Els will now be determined to show it has not been a journey wasted.
