Els blasts ahead

Ernie Els has had a simply smashing start to the season - smashing as in smashing the ball huge distances, reducing golf courses the world over to mere trifles - and yesterday he was at it again.

Attempting to win his fifth tournament in six, he took a one-stroke lead in the Johnnie Walker Classic here at Lake Karrinyup after an eight-under-par 64.

When he was eight under after 10 holes, Els admitted, he had a few "silly thoughts" about a 59. But the thought was father of the failure. He bogeyed the next hole and in the end did not even break the course record, a 63, set by Retief Goosen last year. But the fact that he leads again - Staffordshire's David Lynn lies second - will have had its effect on the field. They are mostly in awe of the man who is now 79 under par for the 17 rounds he has played in 2003.

· Georgina Simpson made a fine start to the season with a four-under-par 69 in the first round of the Australian LPG Championship in Newton Bay. Simpson, due to make her US Tour debut next month, is one behind the leaders.