Els takes charge of Wentworth's major renovation; Harrington: 18 holes are very interesting.

by golf8279 on 2010-05-31 18:03:26

Sohu Sports News - According to reports on April 21st, Beijing time, the BMW European Championship of the European Tour naturally drew the most attention among all the golf tours held this week. As the flagship event of the European Tour, the total prize money of the European Championship amounts to 4.5 million Euros, attracting countless world-class golf stars to participate. Among all these participants, one person is the most nervous, and that is the renowned South African golfer Ernie Els.

The West Course at Wentworth, where the European Championship has been traditionally held, has always faced criticism, especially regarding its greens. Many famous players, including Padraig Harrington, have described them as "unfair." Therefore, throughout the entire winter, Ernie Els stayed in London, with his primary task being to supervise the renovation work of the West Course at Wentworth. Els hopes that it will receive more positive feedback from the players.

Since 1984, the BMW European Championship has consistently been held at the West Course at Wentworth. Now, this venerable old club has finally decided to yield and accept renovations by current star players. However, many critics accustomed to tradition argue that some of the changes at Wentworth violate its natural form and are wrong. In particular, Els added a few new bunkers to the course and placed a small lake in front of the 18th green. Critics worry that Els' modifications may result in an excessive number of bunkers on the West Course at Wentworth, hiding the greens amidst a dense array of bunkers, which would be disadvantageous for attacking the flagstick position.

In response, Els said, "I am very nervous. I feel like sitting on pins and needles right now. This renovation project might be acknowledged by everyone, or it might not gain support. If they don't like it, I must carefully listen to their opinions." Thus, Els will spend this week with great trepidation, eagerly awaiting the feedback from the 149 professional players. After all, since Harry Colt built Wentworth in 1927, Els is the first person to make any changes there.

"At the end of a day's play, you'll see that the course tests the players' skills, and it is fair to them. We wait to see what the situation will be at the end of the week," Els admitted he lacked confidence about whether the renovation work would be successful, "Clearly, I can't satisfy everyone, but I will seek opinions everywhere. Hopefully, the course will gain recognition from the players. This is what I desire the most."

Richard Caring, the owner of Wentworth, played a decisive role in this matter. It was his insistence that led to the design collaboration with Els. Although Wentworth is an old club with nearly a century of historical style, the much-criticized greens were no longer suitable for modern professional golf tournaments, especially for three-time major champion Padraig Harrington. For this reason, Harrington had repeatedly declined to participate in the European Championship. In the past two years, he never set foot inside Wentworth's gates.

Therefore, Caring eventually made the decision to renovate the entire course so it could keep up with the times and gain recognition from professional top players.

Els said, "The BMW European Championship is great; it's like the fifth major championship in Europe. Therefore, the competition venue must have distinct characteristics. I believe I've accomplished this task. Everyone will enjoy the competition here, or they might be shocked, but I believe they will find ways to achieve good results."

Although he has already decided to undergo cartilage restoration surgery on his right knee next Tuesday, perhaps out of respect for his good friend, Harrington finally returned to the Wentworth tournament. After trying out the course, Harrington gave affirmation to Els' work: "I am impressed with the course. They have made the course more genuine, and today's Wentworth is fair to every participant."

Then, did the renovated course become more difficult? Harrington's answer was: "We will see many dramatic moments on the 18th hole." (Sohu Sports GuiGui)