• BMW PGA Championship

Els prepared for Wentworth backlash

Ernie Els has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance this year, picking up wins at the CA Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational © Getty Images

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Ernie Els is braced for a backlash of criticism from his fellow players during this week's BMW PGA Championship after overseeing a complete overhaul of the Wentworth course.

The South African joined forces with Wentworth owner Richard Caring to deliver a number of massive changes to the famous West Course, with the introduction of a wide ditch in front of the 18th green the most notable of the pair's ideas.

The three-time major winner, who will complete a three-ball with 2009 runner-up Ross Fisher and young Welshman Rhys Davies on the first two days, also engineered a complete re-think of all 18 putting surfaces and played a prominent role in changing the run-in areas to each green to take the course back to a more traditional parkland layout.

"Obviously you're not going to please everybody," Els said. "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 the guys can fire at, can throws their 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. Players will have a little bit of a shock for a while, but they will find a way to score around here. "When you master this course now I think you'll have a lot of confidence going forward and not be intimidated by any course.

"The most talk will probably be about 18. We wanted a little bit of drama - with the old green everybody was putting for eagle and it was basically a bit of a soft par five."

World No. 3 Lee Westwood is already a fan of the changes despite not getting out on course yet. The 2009 Race to Dubai winner has struggled around the Surrey layout in the past, missing the cut at the last his last two Wentworth events, but is confident that the redesigns will suit his game.

"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."

Despite his lack of success in the event, Westwood feels the European Tour's flagship has the feel of a major tournament and is hopeful of aiding his Race to Dubai defence with a strong showing.

"It's a massive tournament," Westwood added. "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."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.