Els has a poor record at Carlsbad

The South African said there is a "half chance" he will skip the tournament which takes place from 25-29 February.

Els has played in every World Golf Championship event that counts toward the official money list the series began in 1999.

But he said: "You've got a 27-hour flight to maybe play one match - it's a long way to go."

Els, who retained his Sony Open title in Hawaii on Sunday, plays next week in Thailand, then has two tournaments in Australia before a two-week break in South Africa.

He has won the World Match Play Championship in England a record five times, but that tournament features 36-hole matches with a limited field.

The WGC version has 64 players who play 18-hole matches until the finals, and the format has led to some unpredictable results.

Tiger Woods is the only player ranked in the world top 10 to have won the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Els has been beaten twice in the first round, and twice in the second round at La Costa - a course which does not rank among his favourites.