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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:
- Three Major Championships
- 1994 US Open Championship
- 1997 US Open Championship
- 2002 British Open Championship
- 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
- 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. |
