Els provides the spur to Schwartzel success

ESTEPONA, Spain, (Reuters) – Masters champion Charl  Schwartzel believes he can emulate fellow-South African Ernie  Els and win the U.S. Open on the Congressional Course in  Maryland.  

“I like the Masters and I love the Augusta course, but I had  always thought the U.S. Open would be the one that I had a  really good chance of winning,” Schwartzel told Reuters on the  eve of the World Match Play Championship yesterday.  

“Ernie won the U.S. Open at the Congressional, so that’s a  good enough spur for me. Doing what Ernie did would be a  memorable achievement for me. And I enjoy playing tough courses  like I expect the Congressional to be. 
 

Ernie Els

“There will be plenty watching me to see how I get on in the  next major but I’m not looking to go out there and try to prove  something. I’m looking at it in a more positive way. The fact  that I’ve won a major is going to give me more confidence in the  next one than I’ve ever had before.” 
 
Schwartzel, 26, is planning to carry on South Africa’s great  record in this week’s event, being held for a second time at the  Finca Cortesin course on Spain’s Costa del Sol after switching  from its traditional Wentworth, England, venue.  

Els will again prove his spur. “Ernie has won this so many  times (five successively from 1994) and Gary Player starred in  it, so I’m hoping to continue the trend,” he said.  

With storms forecast for the opening round, Schwartzel is   wary about the weather.  
“I can handle the wind and the rain but I do struggle when  it gets cold,” he said.  
He begins his group stage match today by taking on  local favourite Miguel Angel Jimenez.  
World number one Lee Westwood plays Dane Anders Hansen,  while world number two Luke Donald meets the only American in  the field, Ryan Moore.