"A win is what I needed in order to really kick-start my year so this couldn't have come at a better time," the three-time major winner said on his official Web site, ernieels.com, today.

"Being up there last week, in the mix, feeling the heat and knowing that I can pull off the shots under pressure, that is what it's all about.

"It's amazing what a win does for your confidence,"

This especially when victory is achieved as his was in the Honda Championship when he came from behind, took on and beat a nasty, gusting wind and edged in by a stroke from Luke Donald as the earlier pace setters fell away on the closing stretch.

It was the big, globe-trotting South African's 16th win on the US PGA Tour and now that he has made the breakthrough again, he is keen to maintain his easy-swinging, winning momentum when he tees off at the tricky, tree-lined, dog-legged, water-guarded Copperhead course at Westin Innisbrook's four course golf resort on Thursday.

This again in a week when neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson are playing and Els heads the Top 20 brigade who have entered for the event, the others, this time, being World No 4 Steve Stricker, whom Els deposed at No 3 this week, Britain's Justin Rose (No 7), American Stewart Cink (No 16) and Australian Geoff Ogilvy (No 17).

"Even before last week I was telling people how I was enjoying practising and spending a lot of time on my swing and the technical side of my game," added an enthused Els, whose previous victory on American soil came at Jack Nicklaus' 2004 Memorial tournament.

"My swing feels good, I'm driving the ball well and I'm hitting my irons nicely. Plus I'm holing some putts now.

"I guess you could say this recent win gives me even more momentum and enthusiasm for what I'm doing. There's still an awful lot that I want to achieve in this game and I really want to push on from here."

Ironically this week's defending champion just happens to be veteran Mark Calcavecchia, who was one of the front runners at PGA National on Sunday until he blew himself out of contention with a killer double bogey at the 15th and went on to finish fourth

"It didn't go my way, it wasn't my time," he said afterwards

"I hit it in the water three times. I said that I had to keep my ball dry and, if I had done that, it would have been a very different story. I was looking for the 'W' (win)."

There is quite a bit of water at Copperhead where Calcavecchia triumphed by a stroke last year and ended his own two-year title drought, but it didn't worry him then and he hopes it won't do so this time.

"It's a hard golf course and there are some hard holes out there, sure, but I did enough and made just enough putts (to win).

"Winning is just a special feeling and I was happy the way I hit it. The last three days were magical," Calcavecchia said, hoping he'll be able to conjure up more of that this year