ABOUT ERNIE ELS

Born in South Africa on 17 October 1969, Ernie Els excelled in sport at a very young age. He started playing golf at the age of 8, achieving his first, but certainly not his last, win in 1984 when he won the Junior World Golf Championship in the Boys 13-14 category. Over the years Ernie Els has achieved much in the world of golf with numerous wins in prominent global golfing tournaments. He has also been the holder of the number one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings, and is consistently ranked in the top five.

With this great talent as a golfer, Ernie Els has been awarded with the nickname of the "Big Easy", a referral not only to the smooth, seemingly effortless way he swings the golf club, but furthermore to his low-key and easy going nature on the golf course.

Ernie Els stands by the mottos of "Live for the moment" and "take every opportunity that comes your way"; and with these mottos in life, it is no wonder why he has achieved such amazing successes throughout his golfing career.

The achievements of Ernie Els are endless. Apart from being awarded his junior Springbok colours in 1984, the State President Sports Award in 1987, and his full Springbok colours, this talented golfer has dominated numerous golfing tournaments in his lifetime. A list of his achievements from 1994 to 2006 in major tournaments include the following wins:

  1. Three Major Championships
    • 1994 US Open Championship
    • 1997 US Open Championship
    • 2002 British Open Championship
  2. Eleven PGA Tours
    • 1995 GTE Byron Nelson Classic
    • 1996 Buick Classic
    • 1997 Buick Classic
    • 1998 Bay Hill Invitational
    • 1999 Nissan Open
    • 2000 The International
    • 2002 Genuity Championship
    • 2003 Mercedes Championship
               Sony Open in Hawaii
    • 2004 Sony Open in Hawaii
               Memorial
  3. Forty-Five Europe and Worldwide
    • 1991 Amatola Sun Classic
    • 1992 Protea Assurance South African Open
               South African Masters
               Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Classic
               Lexington South Africa PGA Championship
               First National Bank Players Championship
               Goodyear Classic
    • 1993 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament
    • 1994 Dubai Desert Classic
               Toyota World Matchplay Championship
               Johnnie Walker World Championship
               Sarazan World Open
    • 1995 Toyota World Matchplay Championship
               Bells Cup
               Lexington South Africa PGA Championship
    • 1996 South African Open
               Toyota World Matchplay Championship
               Johnnie Walker Super Tour Event
               World Cup of Golf
    • 1997 Johnnie Walker Classic
               PGA Grand Slam of Golf
               World Cup of Golf
               Dunhill Links Championship (Team)
    • 1998 South African Open
               Dunhill Links Championship (Team)
    • 1999 Alfred Dunhill South Africa PGA Championship
               Nedbank Golf Challenge
    • 2000 Nedbank Golf Challenge
               Standard Life Loch Lomond Tournament
    • 2001 Vodacom Players Championship
               World Golf Championship (Unofficial Event)
    • 2002 Heineken Classic
               Nedbank Golf Challenge
               Dubai Desert Classic
               Cisco World Match Play Championship
    • 2003 Heineken Classic
               Johnnie Walker Classic
               Barclays Scottish Open
               Omega European Masters
               HSBC World Match Play Championship
    • 2004 WGC - American Express Championship
               Heineken Classic
    • 2005 Dubai Desert Classic
               BMW Asian Open
               Qatar Masters
    • 2006 Dunhill Championship

Due to his extraordinary talent as a golfer, many prestigious companies have keenly become sponsors of Ernie Els, just so that they have the opportunity to link their company name to such an outstanding, globally-recognised sportsman. Some of Ernie Els' current sponsors include the following:

  • Footjoy / Titleist
  • Golf Digest
  • Omega
  • Phiton
  • Rockroller
  • SAP
  • Wentworth
  • Woodworm

Throughout his 16-year professional golf career, Ernie Els has established himself as a truly global player, whose competitive nature which lies behind a relaxed facade, has enabled him to achieve great things in the world of golf. As such, Ernie Els is one the greatest golfers to ever come out of South Africa, and who will go down in history as being one of the best in the world.