Centurion Els seeks one more major title

Cape Town - Legendary South African golfer Ernie Els believes he is not finished and still has what it takes to win one more major title.

Els and American Phil Mickelson are teeing up at the PGA Championship on Thursday in their 100th major - joining an illustrious club.

Els made his first major appearance as a 20-year-old at the Open Championship in 1989 - where he unfortunately missed the cut.

However, 28-years later 'The Big Easy' has become one of the game's greats and boasts four majors.

The South African won the 1994 and 1997 US Opens and the 2002 and 2012 Open Championships.

Els, a former world No 1 now ranked 419th, is only playing in the PGA Championship in Charlotte on a special invitation as his five-year Majors exemption has expired.

Els insists that there is time for him to claim another major victory - despite struggling with form and dropping in the world rankings.

"I'll be 48 in October, and 50 is around the corner and I still have majors to play. There's time, and so much to play for," Els told reporters.

"Being this age motivates me, scares me and excites me. I'm looking for a hot streak of good golf. I'll never dominate the game again, but if I catch a streak, I know how to close out a tournament."

Els, who was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011, said he is honoured to be among some of golf's greatest including nine-time major compatriot Gary Player.

"That's a heck of a list right there. Those are all our mentors, our heroes. They are all on that list... But it means that we've done it, you know, properly, in a good way," said Els.

"To be on that list and looking at those people’s careers is unbelievable. You know, again, to go back to 1984 to where we are today in 2017, to look at that list, I think it will take a while to kind of sink in for the two of us. But it's pretty cool."

Els will tee off at Quail Hollow on Thursday in the first two rounds with Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and Ian Poulter of England at 13:45 SA time.

The 100 Majors club:

1. Jack Nicklaus - 164 majors

2. Gary Player - 150 majors

3. Tom Watson - 145 majors

4. Arnold Palmer - 142 majors

5. Raymond Floyd - 127 majors

6. Sam Snead - 119 majors

7. Ben Crenshaw - 118 majors

8. Gene Sarazen - 112 majors

9. Tom Kite - 109 majors

10. Mark O’Meara - 109 majors

11. Bernhard Langer - 104 majors

12. Sir Nick Faldo - 100 majors

13. Ernie Els - 100 majors

14. Phil Mickelson - 100 majors