Els getting frustrated with lack of victories

LOCH LOMOND, Scotland, July 15 (Reuters) World number eight Ernie Els spoke of his golfing frustrations after signing for a four-under-par 67 in the Scottish Open third round today.

The 36-year-old South African registered six birdies and two bogeys to boost his title chances with a total of 206, seven under, in the final warm-up event in Europe ahead of next week's British Open at Hoylake.

Els, without a tournament victory for seven months, is getting increasingly irritated with his failure to score well.

''I have been playing like this for a long time and I have not been scoring,'' said the 2000 and 2003 Scottish Open champion.

''I am a competitor and I won't lie, I want to win when I play and it gets to you after a while. I am doing a lot of things good and I've just got to keep going.'' Asked if the frustration was growing, he replied: ''You can see that, can't you?'' Els said he was setting up birdie chances but his putter was letting him down.

''I guess I'm not hitting them (the putts) right, I don't know,'' he said. ''You almost hit every green and two-putt every green.

''It kind of gets to you after a while when you are trying to get up the leaderboard. It is just not happening.'' Els, who last won at the Dunhill Championship in his native South Africa in December, said today's round was typical of the way things had been going.

''It is a 67 and it should be a 62,'' he said. ''So, make your own conclusion there.'' REUTERS DH VC2103