Desert comfort for Woods

DUBAI – Both Tiger Woods and Ernie Els came up short at the Dubai Desert Classic but both left the Gulf buoyed for the year ahead.

They will now part company and as its stands at the moment are not scheduled to play each other again in a stroke-play event until the WGC Championship tournament in Miami at the end of March. That is just two weeks away from both men’s prime target for the spring campaign – the Masters at Augusta from April 5-8.World number one Woods will be going for his fifth Green Jacket, while Els is seeking his first.But in Dubai, the big South African, playing in just his second tournament of the year, confirmed that he has everything in place to renew his challenge to Woods having finally achieved full fitness following the knee ligament damage he incurred in a jet-ski accident 18 months ago.He failed to win the Dubai title for a record fourth time but just one shot separated him from winner Henrik Stenson of Sweden as he moved up from a third place finish at Qatar the previous week to take the runners-up spot.One of golf’s most prolific travellers, Els next tees off in the Nissan Open at the Riviera County Club, Los Angeles from February 15-18, a tournament which Woods has not for the moment included on his schedule.After that, the former British and US Open champion will head out to Asia once again, and specifically China, before returning to the United States to complete his preparations for his next assault on the Masters.Woods came third in Dubai the week after completing his seventh straight strokeplay win on the USPGA circuit at the Buick Invitational in California.His ball-striking in the Gulf was fine, but he had dreadful week on the greens and says he intends to work hard on that when he gets home.Nampa-AFPThat is just two weeks away from both men’s prime target for the spring campaign – the Masters at Augusta from April 5-8.World number one Woods will be going for his fifth Green Jacket, while Els is seeking his first.But in Dubai, the big South African, playing in just his second tournament of the year, confirmed that he has everything in place to renew his challenge to Woods having finally achieved full fitness following the knee ligament damage he incurred in a jet-ski accident 18 months ago.He failed to win the Dubai title for a record fourth time but just one shot separated him from winner Henrik Stenson of Sweden as he moved up from a third place finish at Qatar the previous week to take the runners-up spot.One of golf’s most prolific travellers, Els next tees off in the Nissan Open at the Riviera County Club, Los Angeles from February 15-18, a tournament which Woods has not for the moment included on his schedule.After that, the former British and US Open champion will head out to Asia once again, and specifically China, before returning to the United States to complete his preparations for his next assault on the Masters.Woods came third in Dubai the week after completing his seventh straight strokeplay win on the USPGA circuit at the Buick Invitational in California.His ball-striking in the Gulf was fine, but he had dreadful week on the greens and says he intends to work hard on that when he gets home.Nampa-AFP