Ernie Els insists he is back on course to start challenging for major titles again after putting his game in the hands of the golfing guru who first turned Tiger Woods into a world beater.

Earlier this year Els parted company with David Leadbetter, his coach and mentor for nearly two decades, and signed up with Butch Harmon.

As a result, the South African goes into today's opening round of the BMW PGA Championship - the flagship tournament of the European Tour - believing he is getting back to the sort of form that could soon see him over-take Phil Mickelson for second place in the rankings behind Woods.

Els, who was in the same threeball as Britain's Nick Dougherty and Andres Romero, of Argentina, on Wentworth's testing West Course, said: "It was very tough to tell David I wanted to listen to somebody else, to go in a different direction.

"But I'm glad that he understood. That just shows you the character of the guy, and he's still a great friend."

The work Els has been doing with Harmon has already produced a victory at the Honda Classic and a tie for sixth place in the Tournament Players' Championship in the United States.

Els, winner of a record seven world matchplay titles at Wentworth but yet to triumph in the BMW PGA strokeplay event, said: "Like 'Lead', Butch has worked with different generations of players and he's evolved with time and equipment and technology.

"I saw what Butch has done with the Australian Adam Scott, who has probably got the best swing in golf right now.

"I also saw what he's done with Stewart Cink, the American who's very tall, taller than me.

"Butch is very much right on top of his game right now, so I wanted to listen to him."

Like all new relationships, the one between Els and Harmon has taken time to gel and the player missed the cut at the US Masters last month.

The Big Easy said: "It was more technical than anything else. When you're aiming at a spot on the ball, and then you look up and it's not quite going where you thought you were aiming, it's tough to get yourself thinking about shooting 63s and 64s.

"Technically, I got out of whack and I'm still getting back.

"When I first started working with Butch I told him I was probably a three out of 10 and I'm slowly getting back up to maybe a five or a six now. Hopefully, by the US Open next month I'll be a seven and going forward.

"When the technical side becomes very comfortable, I think my game will just fall in place."

The BMW PGA is very much a home event for Els, who lives with his family on the Wentworth estate. But he is shortly to set up another base in Florida, where there are better facilities for Ben, his autistic five-year-old son.

"We found a very good educational system for him there," said Els. "But I'm keeping the house at Wentworth and we'll spend the summers here.

"But I do find it quite difficult in the off-season, with the snow and the rain. I find it difficult to practise. I just don't feel like I have much of a life outside of taking the kids to school and coming back and sitting in the cold."

At least the competition will be hot this week with an elite field chasing a share of a purse worth £3.6million.

Like Els, defending champion Anders Hansen has recently overhauled his game. The Dane, aiming for a third BMW PGA title, said: "I've been working hard on trying to improve my technique and lift my fitness level, and I'm feeling pretty good."