Big Easy at home at Hoylake

In from going into the Open Championship were the only criterion to judge potential winners, none of the eight South Africans in the field at Royal Liverpool this week would stand a chance.

It's been a lean year for South African golfers with only one player, Charl Schwartzel, in the world's top 50. Two years ago Schwartzel, Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen briefly overlapped in the top 10.

But winning a major seldom goes to the form book. If it did England's Justin Rose should win at a canter. He won the Scottish Open on Sunday by two shots and in his previous start he won the Congressional on the US PGA Tour.

Winning three tournaments in a row is unusual, but not unheard of in professional golf. Still, Els always goes into the Open brimming with confidence. He has, after all, won the Claret Jug twice, with victories at Muirfield in 2002 and Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2012.

When he won his first title he was among the game's elite, but at the time of his second triumph a decade later he was hovering about 50th in the world rankings.

So, despite a wretched season Els, 44, will tee it up at Hoylake, by which Royal Liverpool is also known, with no fear.

Els is also going into the Open with some confidence having shot a five-under 66 in the final round of the Scottish Open on the Royal Aberdeen Links - his lowest round this year.

It appears that his game is coming quietly to the boil.

But all attention will be on Rose, world No1 Adam Scott, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, who is playing his first Major of the year, and defending champion Phil Mickelson.

"There's a lot of good in my game so let's see if we can really get something going at this week's Open Championship," Els wrote in his weekly website column.

"My optimism levels are always high for what is my favourite tournament of the year, and obviously this is links golf, where I feel very much at home."

Els's links golf record is superb and, in addition to two Open titles, he has twice shot four rounds in the 60s - at Royal St George's in 1993 and Royal Troon in 1994 - but still came up short of winning.

In 22 appearances at the Open he has 11 top tens in addition to those two victories.

"The excitement of arriving at an Open Championship and getting a first look at the golf course has for me never worn off," he said.

"And it's exciting to be back at Hoylake, a great Open venue and a great links test. My history on this course goes back to 1988 when I won the Tillman Trophy.

"Looking at the photo of a skinny 20-year-old me that still hangs in the clubhouse, I'm amazed the wind didn't blow me over that week."