Ernie Els |
|
Personal information |
Full name |
Theodore Ernest Els |
Nickname |
The Big Easy |
Born |
(1969-10-17) 17 October 1969 (age 42)
Johannesburg, South Africa |
Height |
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
Weight |
220 lb (100 kg; 16 st) |
Nationality |
South Africa |
Residence |
Wentworth, England;
George, South Africa;
Jupiter, Florida, USA |
Spouse |
Liezl (m.1998) |
Children |
Samantha (b.1999)
Ben (b.2002) |
Career |
Turned professional |
1989 |
Current tour(s) |
European Tour (joined 1992)
PGA Tour (joined 1994) |
Professional wins |
64 |
Number of wins by tour |
PGA Tour |
18 |
European Tour |
26 (7th all time) |
Japan Golf Tour |
1 |
Sunshine Tour |
16 |
Other |
14 |
Best results in Major Championships
(Wins: 3) |
Masters Tournament |
2nd: 2000, 2004 |
U.S. Open |
Won: 1994, 1997 |
The Open Championship |
Won: 2002 |
PGA Championship |
3rd/T3: 1995, 2007 |
Achievements and awards |
World Golf Hall of Fame |
2011 (member page) |
PGA Tour
Rookie of the Year |
1994 |
European Tour
Order of Merit winner |
2003, 2004 |
European Tour
Player of the Year |
1994, 2002, 2003 |
Sunshine Tour
Order of Merit winner |
1991/92, 1994/95 |
Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els (/ˈɛls/; born 17 October 1969) is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature (he stands 1.91 metres [6 feet, 3 inches]) along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing. Among his numerous victories are three major championships: the U.S. Open in 1994 at the Oakmont Country Club and 1997 at the Congressional Country Club, and The Open Championship in 2002 at Muirfield.[1]
Other highlights in Els' career include topping the 2003 and 2004 European Tour Order of Merit (money list), and winning the World Match Play Championship a record seven times. He was the leading career money winner on the European Tour until overtaken by Lee Westwood in 2011, and was the first member of the tour to earn over 25 million Euros from European Tour events. He has held the number one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings and holds the record for weeks ranked in the top ten with over 780.[2][3] Els was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2010, on his first time on the ballot, and was inducted in May 2011.[4]
Els was represented by International Sports Management. When not playing, he has a golf course design business, a charitable foundation which supports golf among underprivileged youngsters in South Africa, and a highly-regarded wine-making business. Els has written a popular golf instructional column in Golf Digest magazine for several years.
Growing up just east of Johannesburg in Kempton Park, South Africa, he played rugby union, cricket, tennis, and, starting at age 8, golf. He was a skilled junior tennis player and won the Eastern Transvaal Junior Championships at age 13. Els learned the game of golf at the Kempton Park Country Club where he started carrying for his father, Neels. He was soon playing better than his father (and his older brother, Dirk), and by the age of 14 he was a scratch handicap. It was around this time that he decided to focus exclusively on golf.
Els first achieved prominence in 1984, when he won the Junior World Golf Championship in the Boys 13–14 category. Phil Mickelson was second to Els that year. Els won the South African Amateur Championship a few months after his 17th birthday, becoming the youngest-ever winner of that event, breaking the record which had been held by Gary Player.
Els married his wife Liezl in 1998 in Cape Town and they have two children, Samantha and Ben. In 2008 after Els started to display an "Autism Speaks" logo on his golf bag it was announced that their then five year old son was autistic.[5] Their main residence is at the Wentworth Estate near Wentworth Golf Club in the south of England. However, they also split time between South Africa and their family home in Jupiter, Florida in order to get better treatment for Ben's autism.[6]
In 1989 Els won the South African Amateur Stroke Play Championiship and turned professional the same year. Els won his first professional tournament in 1991 on the Southern Africa Tour (today the Sunshine Tour). He won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in the 1991/92 and 1994/95 seasons. In 1993 Els won his first tournament outside of South Africa at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan. In 1994 Els won his first major championship at the U.S. Open. Els was tied with Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts after 72 holes and they went to a 18 hole playoff the next day. In spite of starting the playoff bogey-triple bogey,[7] Els was able to match Loren Roberts score of 74. Els birdied the second hole of sudden death to win his first U.S. Open title.
Ernie Els shares a laugh during the practice round for the 2004
Buick Classic
Els brought his game all around the world in his young career winning the Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour, and the Toyota World Match Play Championship defeating once again Colin Montgomerie four-and-two. The following year, Els defended his World Match Play Championship, defeating Steve Elkington three-and-one, won the Byron Nelson Classic in the United States then headed back home to South Africa and won twice more. In 1996 Els won his third straight World Match Play Championship over Vijay Singh three-and-one. No player in history had ever managed three successive titles in the one-on-one tournament. Els finished the year with a win at his home tournament at the South African Open.
1997 was a career year for Els first winning his second U.S. Open (once again over Colin Montgomerie) this time at Congressional Country Club, making him the first foreign player since Alex Smith (1906, 1910) to win the U.S. Open twice. He defended his Buick Classic title and added the Johnnie Walker Classic to his list of victories. Els nearly won the World Match Play Championship for a fourth consecutive year, but lost to Vijay Singh in the final. 1998 and 1999 continued to be successful years for Els with 4 wins on both the PGA and European tours. 2000 started in historic fashion for Els being given a special honour by the Board of Directors of the European Tour awarding him with honorary life membership of the European Tour because of his two U.S. Opens and three World Match Play titles. 2000 was the year of runner ups for Els; with three runner up finishes in the Majors (Masters, U.S. Open and The Open Championship) and seven second place finishes in tournaments worldwide. Els had a disappointing 2001 season, failing to win a US PGA tour event for the first time since 1994 although he ended the year with nine second place finishes.
2002 was arguably Els's best year which started with a win at the Heineken Classic at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Then went to America and outplayed World Number one Tiger Woods to lift the Genuity Championship title. The premier moment of the season was surely his The Open Championship triumph in very tough conditions at Muirfield. Els overcame a four man playoff to take home the famed Claret Jug for the first time, also quieting his critics about his mental toughness. The South African also took home his fourth World Match Play title, along with his third Nedbank Challenge in the last four years dominating a world class field winning by 8 shots.
2003 gave Els his first European Tour Order of Merit. Although playing fewer events than his competitors Els won four times and had three runner ups. He also performed well in the United States with back to back victories at the Mercedes Championship and Sony Open and achieved top 20 spots in all four majors including a fifth place finish at the U.S Open and sixth place finishes at both the Masters and PGA Championship. To top off the season Els won the World Match Play title for a record tying fifth time. In 2003 he was voted 37th on the SABC3's Great South Africans.
2004 was another successful year as Els won 6 times on both tours including big wins at Memorial, WGC-American Express Championship and his sixth World Match Play Championship, a new record. His success did not stop there. Els showed amazing consistency in the Majors but lost to Phil Mickelson in the Masters when Mickelson birdied the 18th for the title, finished ninth in the U.S. Open after playing in the final group with friend and fellow countryman Retief Goosen and surprisingly losing in a playoff in the Open to the unknown Todd Hamilton. Els had a 14-foot (4.3 m) put for birdie on the final hole of regulation for the championship, but Els missed the putt and lost in the playoff. Els ended the major season with a fourth place finish in the PGA Championship, where a three putt on the 72nd hole would cost him a place in the playoff. In total Els had 16 top 10 finishes, a second European Order of Merit title in succession and a second place finish on the United States money list. 2004 was the start of the "Big Five Era" which is used in describing the era in golf where Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, and Phil Mickelson dominated the game of golf. The five switched up and down the top five positions in the World Golf Ranking; most notably Vijay Singh's derailment of Tiger Woods as the best golfer in the world. The five stayed, for the most part, in the top five spots from 2004 until the start of 2007. Nine majors were won between them, many fighting against each other head to head.
In July 2005, Els injured his left knee while sailing with his family in the Mediterranean. Despite missing several months of the 2005 season due to the injury, Els won the second event on his return, the Dunhill Championship.
At the start of the 2007 season Ernie Els laid out a three-year battle plan to challenge Tiger Woods as world number one. "I see 2007 as the start of a three-year plan where I totally re-dedicate myself to the game,"[8] Els told his official website.
When he missed the cut by two strokes at the 2007 Masters Tournament, Els ended tour-leading consecutive cut streaks on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. On the PGA Tour, his streak began at the 2004 The Players Championship (46 events) and on the European Tour it began at the 2000 Johnnie Walker Classic (82 events)
Els has often been compared to Greg Norman in the sense that both men’s careers could be looked back on and think what could have been. Although the two of them are multiple major championship winners they have both shared disappointment in majors. Their disappointments have ranged from nerves, bad luck and simply being outplayed. 1996 was the year where Norman collapsed in the Masters and Els in the PGA Championship. Els has finished runner-up in six majors and most notably for his runner-up finishes to Tiger Woods. Els has finished runner-up to Woods more than any other golfer and has often been described as having the right game to finally be the golfer to beat Woods in a major.
On 2 March 2008, Els won the Honda Classic contested at PGA National's Championship Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Els shot a final round 67 in tough windy conditions, which was enough to give him the win by one stroke over Luke Donald. The win marked the end of a three and a half year long stretch without a win on the PGA Tour for Els. The win was his 16th PGA Tour victory of his career.
On 8 April 2008, Els officially announced that he was switching swing coaches from David Leadbetter (whom Els had worked with since 1990) to Butch Harmon who has revamped the golf swings of many established pros (which started with Greg Norman). During Els 2008 Masters press conference Els said the change is in an effort to tighten his swing, shorten his swing, and get a fresh perspective.
On 8 November 2009, Els almost ended his year-long slump by shooting a course-tying record 9-under 63 in the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions to finish at 16-under par 272, a stroke back of Phil Mickelson who finished with a 17-under 271 total including a final round of 3-under 69.
Els finally did break his winless streak by capturing the WGC-CA Championship at Doral in 2010, winning by four strokes over fellow countryman Charl Schwartzel.[9] It was Els' second WGC tournament title. The victory also saw Els overtake Colin Montgomerie to become the career money leader on the European Tour. Els then won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill two weeks later. It was his 18th PGA Tour victory, and his second in as many starts.[10]
Ernie continued his 2010 success with a T3 at the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. He got a 2nd place in 2000 which was also at Pebble Beach.[11]
Els most recently tasted success at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in October 2010. After opening the 36 hole event with a round of 68 he fended off the challenge of David Toms with a final day 69 to win the four man tournament by one stroke, capturing $600,000 in the process. In December 2010, Els won the South African Open beating Retief Goosen by one shot.[12]
Els had a poor season in 2011, dropping out of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time since 1993.
Els started the 2012 season in his home country at the Volvo Golf Champions where he finished in a tie for second place after he and Retief Goosen lost out in a playoff to Branden Grace. Els and Goosen could only manage pars on the first playoff hole, while Grace two-putted the par-five green for birdie and victory. Els was next in contention at the Transitions Championship, where he needed a win to qualify for the 2012 Masters, led the tournament for most of the final round and had the lead outright until the 16th hole. However he finished the tournament bogey-bogey missing a short three footer on the last hole to make the playoff. The tournament was eventually won by Luke Donald in a four-man playoff.
In 2012, Els failed to qualify for the Masters, the first time since 1993 that he would not play at Augusta. He was ranked 58th in the world prior to the tournament (Top 50 are given automatic invitations).
- Anahita Golf Course – Beau Champ, Mauritius
- Mission Hills Golf Club (The Savannah Course) – Shenzhen, China
- Whiskey Creek – Ijamsville, Maryland, USA
- Oubaai – Garden Route, South Africa
He is also responsible for the refinement and modernisation of the West Course, Wentworth-Virginia Water, England, which took place in 2006.
Courses under construction include:
- Hoakalei Country Club at Hoakalei Resort – Honolulu, Hawaii
- The Els Club – Dubai, UAE
- Gardener Ross Golf and Country Estate – Gauteng, South Africa
- Albany – New Providence, The Bahamas
- Durrat Al Bahrain Golf Course – Durrat Al Bahrain, Bahrain[13]
Unlike most of his contemporaries, Els is known for his willingness to participate in tournaments all around the world, having played regularly in European Tour-sanctioned events in Asia, Australasia, and his native country of South Africa. He says that his globe-trotting schedule is in recognition of the global nature of golf. This has caused some friction with the PGA Tour, an organization that would prefer Els to play more tournaments in the United States. In late 2004, Tim Finchem, the director of the PGA Tour, wrote quite a firm letter to Els asking him to do so, but Els publicized and rejected this request. The PGA Tour's attitude caused considerable offense in the golfing world outside of North America.
The Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation was established in 1999. It has the objective of identifying youths which show talent and potential in the game of golf from under-privileged backgrounds. It provides educational assistance amongst other moral and financial help in order for these youths to reach their full potential.
The first Friendship Cup was played in 2006 which is a match play competition, played in a Ryder Cup type format. In the cup, Els's foundation plays against the foundation of Tiger Woods. Els's foundation won 12.5 points to 3.5 points.
Els has also participated several times in the Gary Player Invitational series of charity golf events, to assist Player raise significant funds for underprivileged children around the world.
Since his son's autism diagnosis, he and his wife have been active in charities devoted to that condition. This involvement has increased as Ben has reached school age. In 2009, Els launched an annual charity golf event, the Els for Autism Pro-Am, held at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida near his South Florida residence during the PGA Tour's March swing into the area. The first event, which featured many PGA Tour and Champions Tour golfers, raised $725,000 for The Renaissance Learning Center, a nonprofit charter school in the area for autistic children. A large majority of the amateurs who paid to play in the 2009 event had a family member or friend with a child on the autistic spectrum. The couple has also established the Els Center of Excellence, which began as a drive to build a new campus for the aforementioned school but has since mushroomed into a $30 million plan to combine the school with a research facility.[14]
“ |
I've never been a very technical player. I don't get caught up in swing positions and mechanics. When I work on my swing...I'm looking for feels. You'll get better results—and often more distance—if you swing at eighty percent effort. I get all kinds of people telling me I have the best swing in the world—it's beautiful, it's effortless. But I know when that isn't true. |
” |
[15]
—Els to Golf Digest
“ |
It's been a bit of a challenge ... It's so new to everybody, that a lot of people have different ideas. After seeing just about everybody in the world, I decided on this path we're going to go. Like any family will tell you, it's not easy. And it's a change of life, a change of priorities. You've got to be ready for it. And it's happening more often. I never knew about it, never thought about it, until it's in your lap. |
” |
[16]
—Els on his son Ben who was diagnosed with autism
- 1984 World Junior Golf Championships (Boys 13–14 division)
- 1986 South African Boys Championship, South African Amateur Championship
- 1989 South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship
Legend |
Major championships (3) |
World Golf Championships (2) |
Other PGA Tour (13) |
|
No. |
Date |
Tournament |
Winning score |
Margin of
victory |
Runner(s)-up |
1 |
20 Jun 1994 |
U.S. Open |
–5 (69-71-66-73-74=279) |
Playoff |
Colin Montgomerie, Loren Roberts |
2 |
14 May 1995 |
GTE Byron Nelson Classic |
–17 (69-61-65-68=263) |
3 strokes |
Robin Freeman, Mike Heinen,
D. A. Weibring |
3 |
9 Jun 1996 |
Buick Classic |
–13 (65-66-69-71=271) |
8 strokes |
Steve Elkington, Tom Lehman,
Jeff Maggert, Craig Parry |
4 |
15 Jun 1997 |
U.S. Open |
–4 (71-67-69-69=276) |
1 stroke |
Colin Montgomerie |
5 |
22 Jun 1997 |
Buick Classic |
–14 (64-68-67-69=268) |
2 strokes |
Jeff Maggert |
6 |
22 Mar 1998 |
Bay Hill Invitational |
–14 (67-69-65-73=274) |
4 strokes |
Bob Estes, Jeff Maggert |
7 |
21 Feb 1999 |
Nissan Open |
–14 (68-66-68-68=270) |
2 strokes |
Davis Love III, Ted Tryba,
Tiger Woods |
8 |
6 Aug 2000 |
The International |
48 points (15-19-6-8=48) |
4 points |
Phil Mickelson |
9 |
3 Mar 2002 |
Genuity Championship |
–17 (66-67-66-72=271) |
2 strokes |
Tiger Woods |
10 |
21 Jul 2002 |
The Open Championship |
–6 (70-66-72-70=278) |
Playoff |
Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington,
Thomas Levet |
11 |
12 Jan 2003 |
Mercedes Championships |
–31 (64-65-65-67 = 261) |
8 strokes |
K. J. Choi, Rocco Mediate |
12 |
19 Jan 2003 |
Sony Open in Hawaii |
–16 (66-65-66-67=264) |
Playoff |
Aaron Baddeley |
13 |
18 Jan 2004 |
Sony Open in Hawaii |
–18 (67-64-66-65=262) |
Playoff |
Harrison Frazar |
14 |
6 Jun 2004 |
Memorial Tournament |
–18 (68-70-66-66=270) |
4 strokes |
Fred Couples |
15 |
3 Oct 2004 |
American Express Championship |
–18 (69-64-68-69=270) |
1 stroke |
Thomas Bjørn |
16 |
2 Mar 2008 |
Honda Classic |
–6 (67-70-70-67=274) |
1 stroke |
Luke Donald |
17 |
14 Mar 2010 |
WGC-CA Championship |
–18 (68-66-70-66=270) |
4 strokes |
Charl Schwartzel |
18 |
29 Mar 2010 |
Arnold Palmer Invitational |
–11 (68-69-69-71=277) |
2 strokes |
Edoardo Molinari, Kevin Na |
PGA Tour playoff record (4–4)
No. |
Year |
Tournament |
Opponent(s) |
Result |
1 |
1994 |
U.S. Open |
Colin Montgomerie, Loren Roberts |
Won with par on second extra hole after 18-hole playoff
(Els:74, Roberts:74, Montgomerie:78) |
2 |
2000 |
Mercedes Championships |
Tiger Woods |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
3 |
2001 |
The Tour Championship |
Sergio García, David Toms,
Mike Weir |
Weir won with birdie on first extra hole |
4 |
2002 |
The Open Championship |
Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington,
Thomas Levet |
Els won with par on first extra hole after four-hole playoff
Els (4-3-5-4), Levet (4-3-5-4), Appleby (4-3-5-5), Elkington (5-3-4-5) |
5 |
2003 |
Sony Open in Hawaii |
Aaron Baddeley |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
6 |
2004 |
Sony Open in Hawaii |
Harrison Frazar |
Won with birdie on third extra hole |
7 |
2004 |
The Open Championship |
Todd Hamilton |
Lost four-hole playoff:
Hamilton (4-4-3-4), Els (4-4-4-4) |
8 |
2012 |
Zurich Classic of New Orleans |
Jason Dufner |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
Legend |
Major championships (3) |
World Golf Championships (2) |
Other European Tour (21) |
|
No. |
Date |
Tournament |
Winning score |
Margin of
victory |
Runner(s)-up |
1 |
30 Jan 1994 |
Dubai Desert Classic |
–20 (61-69-67-71=268) |
6 strokes |
Greg Norman |
2 |
20 Jun 1994 |
U.S. Open |
–5 (69-71-66-73=279) |
Playoff |
Colin Montgomerie, Loren Roberts |
3 |
19 Feb 1995 |
Lexington South African PGA Championship
(co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour) |
–9 (65-71-71-64=271) |
2 strokes |
Roger Wessels |
4 |
26 Jan 1997 |
Johnnie Walker Classic |
–10 (70-68-71-69=278) |
1 stroke |
Peter Lonard, Michael Long |
5 |
15 Jun 1997 |
U.S. Open |
–4 (71-67-69-69=276) |
1 stroke |
Colin Montgomerie |
6 |
8 Feb 1998 |
South African Open
(co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour) |
–15 (64-72-68-69=273) |
3 strokes |
David Frost |
7 |
24 Jan 1999 |
Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship
(co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour) |
–15 (67-69-69-68=273) |
4 strokes |
Richard Kaplan |
8 |
15 Jul 2000 |
Standard Life Loch Lomond |
–11 (69-67-68-69=273) |
1 stroke |
Tom Lehman |
9 |
3 Feb 2002 |
Heineken Classic
|
–17 (64-69-69-69=271) |
5 strokes |
Peter Fowler, David Howell,
Peter O'Malley |
10 |
2002 |
Dubai Desert Classic |
–16 (68-68-67-69=272) |
4 strokes |
Niclas Fasth |
11 |
21 Jul 2002 |
The Open Championship |
–6 (70-66-72-70=278) |
Playoff |
Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington,
Thomas Levet |
12 |
2 Feb 2003 |
Heineken Classic |
–15 (70-72-66-65=273) |
1 stroke |
Nick Faldo, Peter Lonard |
13 |
16 Feb 2003 |
Johnnie Walker Classic |
–29 (64-65-64-66=259) |
10 strokes |
Stephen Leaney, Andre Stolz |
14 |
13 Jul 2003 |
Barclays Scottish Open |
–17 (64-67-67-69=267) |
5 strokes |
Darren Clarke, Phillip Price |
15 |
7 Sep 2003 |
Omega European Masters |
–17 (65-69-68-65=267) |
6 strokes |
Michael Campbell |
16 |
8 Feb 2004 |
Heineken Classic |
–20 (60-66-68-74=268) |
1 stroke |
Adam Scott |
17 |
3 Oct 2004 |
WGC-American Express Championship |
–18 (69-64-68-69=270) |
1 stroke |
Thomas Bjørn |
18 |
17 Oct 2004 |
HSBC World Match Play Championship |
2&1 |
Lee Westwood |
19 |
6 Mar 2005 |
Dubai Desert Classic |
–19 (66-68-67-68=269) |
1 stroke |
Stephen Dodd,
Miguel Ángel Jiménez |
20 |
13 Mar 2005 |
Qatar Masters
(co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour) |
–12 (73-69-69-65=276) |
1 stroke |
Henrik Stenson |
21 |
1 May 2005 |
BMW Asian Open
(co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour) |
–26 (67-62-68-65=262) |
13 strokes |
Simon Wakefield |
22 |
11 Dec 2005
(2006 season) |
Dunhill Championship
(co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour) |
–14 (71-67-68-68=274) |
3 strokes |
Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel |
23 |
17 Dec 2006
(2007 season) |
South African Airways Open
(co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour) |
–24 (67-66-66-65=264) |
3 strokes |
Trevor Immelman |
24 |
14 Oct 2007 |
HSBC World Match Play Championship |
6&4 |
Ángel Cabrera |
25 |
14 Mar 2010 |
WGC-CA Championship |
–18 (68-66-70-66=270) |
4 strokes |
Charl Schwartzel |
26 |
19 Dec 2010
(2011 season) |
South African Open
(co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour) |
–25 (65-65-67-66=263) |
1 stroke |
Retief Goosen |
Els's victories in the majors and WGC events count as wins on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour.
1 Defeated Montgomerie in 18-hole playoff and Roberts in sudden death: Els (74–4–4), Roberts (74–4–5), Montgomerie (78)
2 Defeated Appleby and Elkington in 4-hole playoff and Levet in sudden death: Els (4-3-5-4-par), Appleby (4–3–5–5), Elkington (5–3–4–5), Levet (4-3-5-4-bogey)
Tournament |
1989 |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
The Masters |
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
T8 |
CUT |
T12 |
T17 |
T16 |
T27 |
U.S. Open |
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
T7 |
1 |
CUT |
T5 |
1 |
T49 |
CUT |
The Open Championship |
CUT |
DNP |
DNP |
T5 |
T6 |
T24 |
T11 |
T2 |
T10 |
T29 |
T24 |
PGA Championship |
DNP |
DNP |
DNP |
CUT |
CUT |
T25 |
T3 |
T61 |
T53 |
T21 |
CUT |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
- Starts – 74
- Wins – 3
- 2nd place finishes – 6
- 3rd place finishes – 5
- Top 5 finishes – 21
- Top 10 finishes – 31
- Longest streak of top-10s in majors – 5
1Cancelled due to 9/11
DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
WD = withdrew
NT = No Tournament
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
|
PGA Tour |
European Tour |
Season |
Wins (Majors) |
Earnings (US$) |
Rank |
Wins (Majors) |
Earnings |
Rank |
1991 |
0 |
2,647 |
274 |
0 |
£2,357 |
– |
1992 |
0 |
18,420 |
213 |
0 |
£66,626 |
75 |
1993 |
0 |
38,185 |
190 |
0 |
£162,827 |
34 |
1994 |
1 (1) |
684,440 |
19 |
2 (1) |
£311,850 |
10 |
1995 |
1 |
842,590 |
14 |
1 |
£82,459 |
– |
1996 |
1 |
906,944 |
14 |
0 |
£209,148 |
– |
1997 |
2 (1) |
1,243,008 |
9 |
2 (1) |
£359,421 |
– |
1998 |
1 |
763,783 |
36 |
1 |
£433,884 |
8 |
1999 |
1 |
1,710,756 |
15 |
1 |
€588,360 |
12 |
2000 |
1 |
3,469,405 |
3 |
1 |
€2,017,248 |
3 |
2001 |
0 |
2,336,456 |
15 |
0 |
€1,716,287 |
4 |
2002 |
2 (1) |
3,291,895 |
5 |
3 (1) |
€2,251,708 |
3 |
2003 |
2 |
3,371,237 |
9 |
4 |
€2,975,374 |
1 |
2004 |
3 |
5,787,225 |
2 |
3 |
€4,061,905 |
1 |
2005 |
0 |
1,627,184 |
47 |
3 |
€1,012,683 |
18 |
2006 |
0 |
2,326,220 |
28 |
1 |
€1,716,208 |
5 |
2007 |
0 |
2,705,715 |
20 |
2 |
€2,496,237 |
2 |
2008 |
1 |
2,537,290 |
20 |
0 |
€674,098 |
42 |
2009 |
0 |
2,147,157 |
36 |
0 |
€1,571,501 |
11 |
2010 |
2 |
4,558,861 |
3 |
1 |
€2,261,607 |
7 |
2011 |
0 |
948,872 |
93 |
0 |
€591,508 |
51 |
2012* |
0 |
717,344 |
40 |
0 |
€249,481 |
26 |
Career* |
18 (3) |
42,035,635 |
5 |
25 (3) |
€26,472,392 |
2 |
* As of 8 April 2012
These figures are from the respective tour's official sites. Note that there is double counting of money earned (and wins) in the majors and World Golf Championships since they became official events on both tours.
Professional
- Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing South Africa): 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 (winners), 1998 (winners), 1999, 2000
- World Cup (representing South Africa): 1992, 1993, 1996 (Individual and team winners), 1997, 2001 (winners)
- Presidents Cup (International team): 1996, 1998 (winners), 2000, 2003 (tie), 2007, 2009, 2011
- ^ "Ernie Els: Career Detail". PGATour.com. http://www.pgatour.com/players/00/65/22/career/1994.html. Retrieved 7 November 2007.
- ^ "Players who have reached the Top Ten in the Official World Golf Ranking since 1986" (PDF). European Tour Official Guide 09 (38th ed.). PGA European Tour. 2009. p. 558. http://www.europeantour.com/default.sps?pagegid={00387D2B-9D40-40B9-B2AC-C46939A8370B}. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
- ^ Week 11 – Ernie Els Wins WGC-CA Championship To Jump To World Number Eight While The Puerto Rico Open Goes To A Monday Finish – Official World Golf Ranking, 15 March 2010
- ^ 2011 Hall of Fame class: Els, Ford, Bush, Hutchison
- ^ Ernie Els speaks out over son's autism, The Daily Telegraph, 11 March 2008
- ^ PGA, Els Family Tee Up to Raise Awareness, Autism Speaks, e-Speaks, 2 May 2008
- ^ GOLF; Forget Finesse, Remember a Name: Els Wins Open
- ^ Els has 3-year plan to catch Woods as world's No. 1
- ^ "Els gets first win in two years". ESPN. 14 March 2010. http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=4995357. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
- ^ "Ernie Els completes Arnold Palmer Invitational victory". BBC Sport. 29 March 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/8592134.stm. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
- ^ "Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson can't grasp U.S. Open win with Tiger Woods struggling at Pebble Beach". NY Daily News (New York). 21 June 2010. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/06/21/2010-06-21_mickelson_els_fail_to_close_deal_at_open.html. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
- ^ "Ernie Els comes out on top in South African Open". BBC Sport. 19 December 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/9303093.stm. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
- ^ http://www.durratbahrain.com/en/explore/golf-course/golf.html
- ^ "Liezl Els Committed to Autism Awareness". PGA TOUR Charities. 11 March 2010. http://together.pgatour.com/stories/liezl-els-committed-to-autism-awareness.html. Retrieved 16 March 2010. [dead link]
- ^ The Gigantic Book of Golf Quotations, ed. Jim Apfelbaum. 2007.
- ^ USA Today. http://content.usatoday.com/topics/quote/People/Athletes/Golf/Ernie+Els/09gvcjm3mrarV/0bSTcXb8HMgeq/2.
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* denotes current World No. 1.
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- † indicates the event was won in a playoff;
- ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire;
- # indicates the event was won by an amateur
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- 1860 Willie Park, Sr.
- 1861 Tom Morris, Sr.
- 1862 Tom Morris, Sr.
- 1863 Willie Park, Sr.
- 1864 Tom Morris, Sr.
- 1865 Andrew Strath
- 1866 Willie Park, Sr.
- 1867 Tom Morris, Sr.
- 1868 Tom Morris, Jr.
- 1869 Tom Morris, Jr.
- 1870 Tom Morris, Jr.
- 1871 No championship
- 1872 Tom Morris, Jr.
- 1873 Tom Kidd
- 1874 Mungo Park
- 1875 Willie Park, Sr.
- 1876 Bob Martin
- 1877 Jamie Anderson
- 1878 Jamie Anderson
- 1879 Jamie Anderson
- 1880 Bob Ferguson
- 1881 Bob Ferguson
- 1882 Bob Ferguson
- 1883 Willie Fernie†
- 1884 Jack Simpson
- 1885 Bob Martin
- 1886 David Brown
- 1887 Willie Park, Jr.
- 1888 Jack Burns
- 1889 Willie Park, Jr.†
- 1890 John Ball#
- 1891 Hugh Kirkaldy
- 1892 Harold Hilton#
- 1893 William Auchterlonie
- 1894 John Henry Taylor
- 1895 John Henry Taylor
- 1896 Harry Vardon
- 1897 Harold Hilton#
- 1898 Harry Vardon
- 1899 Harry Vardon
- 1900 John Henry Taylor
- 1901 James Braid
- 1902 Sandy Herd
- 1903 Harry Vardon
- 1904 Jack White
- 1905 James Braid
- 1906 James Braid
- 1907 Arnaud Massy
- 1908 James Braid
- 1909 John Henry Taylor
- 1910 James Braid
- 1911 Harry Vardon†
- 1912‡ Edward Ray
- 1913 John Henry Taylor
- 1914 Harry Vardon
- 1915-19 No Championships due to World War I
- 1920 George Duncan
- 1921 Jock Hutchison†
- 1922 Walter Hagen
- 1923 Arthur Havers
- 1924 Walter Hagen
- 1925 Jim Barnes
- 1926 Bobby Jones#
- 1927‡ Bobby Jones#
- 1928 Walter Hagen
- 1929 Walter Hagen
- 1930 Bobby Jones#
- 1931 Tommy Armour
- 1932‡ Gene Sarazen
- 1933 Denny Shute†
- 1934‡ Henry Cotton
- 1935 Alf Perry
- 1936 Alf Padgham
- 1937 Henry Cotton
- 1938 Reg Whitcombe
- 1939 Dick Burton
- 1940-45 No Championships due to World War II
- 1946 Sam Snead
- 1947 Fred Daly
- 1948 Henry Cotton
- 1949 Bobby Locke†
- 1950 Bobby Locke
- 1951 Max Faulkner
- 1952 Bobby Locke
- 1953 Ben Hogan
- 1954 Peter Thomson
- 1955 Peter Thomson
- 1956 Peter Thomson
- 1957 Bobby Locke
- 1958 Peter Thomson†
- 1959 Gary Player
- 1960 Kel Nagle
- 1961 Arnold Palmer
- 1962 Arnold Palmer
- 1963 Bob Charles†
- 1964 Tony Lema
- 1965 Peter Thomson
- 1966 Jack Nicklaus
- 1967 Roberto De Vicenzo
- 1968 Gary Player
- 1969 Tony Jacklin
- 1970 Jack Nicklaus†
- 1971 Lee Trevino
- 1972 Lee Trevino
- 1973‡ Tom Weiskopf
- 1974 Gary Player
- 1975 Tom Watson†
- 1976 Johnny Miller
- 1977 Tom Watson
- 1978 Jack Nicklaus
- 1979 Seve Ballesteros
- 1980 Tom Watson
- 1981 Bill Rogers
- 1982 Tom Watson
- 1983 Tom Watson
- 1984 Seve Ballesteros
- 1985 Sandy Lyle
- 1986 Greg Norman
- 1987 Nick Faldo
- 1988 Seve Ballesteros
- 1989 Mark Calcavecchia†
- 1990 Nick Faldo
- 1991 Ian Baker-Finch
- 1992 Nick Faldo
- 1993 Greg Norman
- 1994 Nick Price
- 1995 John Daly†
- 1996 Tom Lehman
- 1997 Justin Leonard
- 1998 Mark O'Meara†
- 1999 Paul Lawrie†
- 2000 Tiger Woods
- 2001 David Duval
- 2002 Ernie Els†
- 2003 Ben Curtis
- 2004 Todd Hamilton†
- 2005‡ Tiger Woods
- 2006 Tiger Woods
- 2007 Pádraig Harrington†
- 2008 Pádraig Harrington
- 2009 Stewart Cink†
- 2010 Louis Oosthuizen
- 2011 Darren Clarke
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† indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire in 72-holes; # indicates the event was won by an amateur
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‡ indicates won major in the year the golfer won award † indicates won major sometime in their respective golfing careers
∞ indicates won all four majors in the golfers career
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† indicates the event was won in a playoff
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Persondata |
Name |
Els, Ernie |
Alternative names |
Els, Theodore Ernest; The Big Easy |
Short description |
Professional golfer |
Date of birth |
17 October 1969 |
Place of birth |
Johannesburg, South Africa |
Date of death |
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Place of death |
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