Wentworth is not what it used to be, thanks to South African

Lukewarm views on Ernie Els' new-look Burma Road

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By OLIVER BROWN
For all the pyrotechnics of last year's BMW Championship at Wentworth, the fact that American Ben Curtis wound up his round with two eagles suggested the West Course was becoming a soft touch.
You would be hard pushed to make that claim this week, when you see what Ernie Els has done to the place. The South African, who has kept a house at nearby Sunningdale and made this course a personal fiefdom with his seven World Matchplay victories, spent the past year trying to create a test to rival that of many championships.
Els has succeeded, changing the contours of all 18 greens and rendering the 18th more than fearsome enough for the European Tour's flagship event.
A wide ditch has transformed that hole's once gentle character. But the 40 year-old admitted on Tuesday to being "nervous," having led so radical a redesign of the course that brought him his most consistent success.
"I was anxious to get out there," said Els, who had been competing in the Texas Open barely 48 hours earlier. "You're not going to please everybody. You're going to have questions all over the place and it's very easy to criticise something.
"I'm in the hot seat. I'm the guy people can fire at, can throw arrows at, and if guys don't like it you can listen to what they don't like. But this is our fifth major over here in Europe and it needs to have a bit of teeth."
It would be fair to conclude that the early reviews of Els's handiwork have been lukewarm. Graeme McDowell, who played a practice round on Tuesday with fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, said: "This is not Wentworth. This is Wentworth Mark Two."

... but Lee Westwood welcomes the changes

FROM THE SKY SPORTS WEBSITE
Lee Westwood insists he has welcomed the changes made to Wentworth's West Course ahead of this year's BMW PGA Championship.
The Englishman climbed to number three in the world earlier in the week and heads to the Surrey course as arguably the form player in the world.
But the 37-year-old has endured a forgettable time of things at the European Tour's flagship event in recent times, missing the cut at Wentworth in two of his last three visits.
However, he is hopeful the alterations to the lay-out - led by Ernie Els - will play into his hands and boost his chances of another profitable week.
"I'm quite pleased they've changed it as I haven't been playing too well there recently in the last few years," he told Sky Sports.
"I've missed the last couple of cuts, so the changes are welcomed by me.
"I haven't been round the golf course yet, I've got a couple of days, a practice round on Tuesday and then the pro-am on Wednesday, but I think it will play more into my hands than it used to.
"My caddie's been round it and he's impressed with the changes and feels it should seem to suit me.
"I'm certainly playing well at the moment and better than I have done going into this championship in recent years so I'm quite hopeful.
"My last few results have been good so if I keep playing the way I've been playing I should have a chance come Sunday."
Westwood has never won the BMW PGA Championship during his glittering career and concedes it is a title he would love add to his roll of honours.
"Well it's a massive tournament - it's our flagship event in Europe," he continued.
"It's generally always been held around Wentworth so it's got the history and tradition that people associate with big tournaments.
"It's one of the first tournaments I pencil in on my schedule, after the majors and the world golf championships, and it's one I've never won. I've finished second but I'd like to be able to add it to my CV.
"Also there's a lot of cash on offer which reflects at the end of the year on the money-lists, so retaining the (Race to Dubai) money-list, it will be very important with regard to how that goes on from here."