Ernie Els has set himself arguably the biggest challenge of his career - to knock Tiger Woods off the top of the world rankings.
Woods has held the spot for over four years and, even without adding to his haul of majors this year, still has a huge lead. But the 27-year-old has not had a tournament victory since the start of July and at the American Express World Championship, which begins at the Capital Country Club in Atlanta tomorrow.
His nearest challenger Els said: "I want to try and become number one. "It's not going to be easy. Tiger is not going away. He is going to come back strong and he is intelligent enough to know what he has to do to win again.
"He is a tough man, but if I play the way I should and give it my best shot one of these days you will break through. That is what I am working on. It takes a lot of time and a lot of effort, but I just want to play as good as I can."
Woods' first stay at number one lasted just one week in 1997 and it was Els who dethroned him - by winning the United States Open. However, the South African's reign was also only for seven days and over the next 12 months the pair battled with Greg Norman for the position.
But Els has not been there since June 1998, whereas Woods has dominated the scene for all but the three months in 1999 when David Duval was the hottest thing in golf.
Still only 33 himself, Els believes he could have another 10 years until his powers start to wane. But there is another factor facing him which at the moment Woods does not have to think about - family.
Multi-millionaire that he is, Els has homes in South Africa, Florida and Wentworth in Surrey and it is in England that four-year-old daughter Samantha and son Ben, one next Monday, are to be educated.
"The weather sucks, but my wife is happy there and my kids are happy there. The way of life is more what I am used to. We just feel more comfortable there. It was really hard leaving London and saying goodbye this week and my schedule will probably start changing quite dramatically next year. I am really trying to work my daughter's schedule with mine."
He wants to play a higher percentage of tournaments in America, though, and with time off to be fitted in as well it naturally follows that European fans can expect to see less of him. Els, over stg£500,000 clear of Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, could wrap up the European Order of Merit this week because the World Golf Championships tournament counts for both tours.
Woods is the defending champion in Atlanta and will be trying for his eighth world crown in 15 tries. Els has yet to win one on his own, his only success coming at the World Cup with Retief Goosen in Japan two years ago. Apart from that, he has not even had a top three finish and if he wants to be world number one again that needs to change.