South African Els, who won last year's title in a four-way playoff at Muirfield, has clinched five victories worldwide this season and believes he is close to the best form of his life.

But the twice U.S. Open champion is also well aware that Tiger Woods, without a major victory in his last four starts, will have a point to prove at Royal St George's this week.

"I think he's still playing at a very high level, it's just that he probably hasn't put everything together at the majors (this year)," Els told a news conference on Tuesday.

"I think Tiger is playing very well and from all the press he's been getting about not winning a major in a year, which I think is ridiculous, I think he's going to try to prove something and have a good week.

"It's nice for once in five years that he hasn't got a grand slam (major title) but, saying that, I don't think he's changed much.

"Other players are getting better but Tiger's still there."

For all the talk of a Woods slump this season, the game's outstanding player will be bidding this week for a fifth win of the year in just 12 starts.

Although he has been forced to trim his playing schedule for 2003 following knee surgery last December, he romped to victory by five shots at the Western Open earlier this month in his most recent round of competitive golf.

Els, too, has been in prime form and, refreshed after a two-week break, posted a wire-to-wire triumph in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond on Sunday.

FEELING GOOD

"I'm looking for a good week and I've been playing well," said the big-hitting South African. "I feel really good about this week and I'm feeling physically as good as I've ever been.

"I made some nice putts at Loch Lomond, and it was a good sign to be in the lead from day one and go on to win, to sleep with the pressure of leading the golf tournament and trying to cope with that.

"I haven't done that since February or March, so that was a nice accomplishment."

Asked if he was in the best pre-British Open shape of his career, Els replied: "Yes and no.

"I won at Loch Lomond in 2000, and I went into the Open the week after and had a good Open. But Tiger played some different golf that week (winning by eight shots at St Andrews) and I finished second. But I'm feeling good."

Els, who is scheduled to tee off with Japan's Shigeki Maruyama and 2001 U.S. PGA champion David Toms at 1254 GMT in Thursday's first round, added that he felt no extra pressure arriving at Royal St George's as defending champion.

"It's been a year since I won this tournament and I haven't really felt any different this week," he said.

"I know that other players have won back-to-back Open championships before, so there's no extra pressure on me to get into any kind of record books.

"I just want to come in and enjoy my Open, I've got no extra pressure."

The last player to win back-to-back British Opens was Tom Watson at Royal Birkdale in 1983.