Ernie Els facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ernie Els
Els in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Theodore Ernest Els
Nickname	The Big Easy
Born	(1969-10-17) 17 October 1969 (age 55) Johannesburg, South Africa
Height	6 ft 3 in
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st)
Nationality	South Africa
Residence	Wentworth, Surrey, England George, Western Cape, South Africa Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Spouse	Liezl ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	2
Career
Turned professional	1989
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour Champions European Senior Tour
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour European Tour Sunshine Tour
Professional wins	79
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	19
European Tour	28 (7th all-time)
Japan Golf Tour	1
Asian Tour	3
Sunshine Tour	16
PGA Tour of Australasia	5
Champions Tour	7
Other	21
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 4)
The Masters Tournament	2nd: 2000, 2004
U.S. Open	Won: 1994, 1997
The Open Championship	Won: 2002, 2012
PGA Championship	3rd/T3: 1995, 2007
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	2011
Southern Africa Tour Order of Merit winner	1991–92, 1994–95
European Tour Golfer of the Year	1994, 2002, 2003
PGA Tour Rookie of the Year	1994
European Tour Order of Merit winner	2003, 2004
Payne Stewart Award	2015
Old Tom Morris Award	2018

Ernie Els (born October 17, 1969) is a famous golfer from South Africa. He was once the number one golfer in the world! People call him "The Big Easy" because he's tall and has a smooth golf swing. He has won over 70 golf tournaments! This includes four big championships: the U.S. Open in 1994 and 1997, and The Open Championship in 2002 and 2012. He's one of only six golfers to win both of these major tournaments twice.

Ernie also won the World Match Play Championship seven times, which is a record! He was the top earner on the European Tour for a long time. He was even ranked in the top ten golfers for 788 weeks, which was a record until 2013. In 2011, he was added to the World Golf Hall of Fame, which is a huge honor! Today, Ernie mostly plays on the PGA Tour Champions, a tour for older golfers.

Early Life and Golf Journey

Ernie Els grew up in a town called Germiston in South Africa. When he was young, he played many sports. He enjoyed rugby, cricket, and tennis. He started playing golf at age 8.

Ernie was very good at tennis too. He won the Eastern Transvaal Junior Championships when he was 13. His father, Neels, taught him how to play golf. Ernie quickly became better than his dad and older brother, Dirk. By age 14, he was a "scratch handicap," meaning he was very skilled.

Around that time, he decided to focus only on golf. In 1984, Ernie won the Junior World Golf Championship. He was in the 13–14 age group. Another famous golfer, Phil Mickelson, came in second to Ernie that year. A few months after his 17th birthday, Ernie won the South African Amateur golf tournament. He became the youngest person ever to win it!

Becoming a Professional Golfer

Starting His Career: 1989–1996

In 1989, Ernie Els won the South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship. He then became a professional golfer that same year. His first professional win was in 1991 on the Southern Africa Tour. He was the top player on that tour in 1991/92 and 1994/95.

In 1993, Ernie won his first tournament outside South Africa. It was the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan. A year later, in 1994, Ernie won his first major championship. This was the U.S. Open. He was tied with two other golfers after 72 holes. They had to play an extra 18 holes the next day. Even though he started slowly, Ernie managed to win the U.S. Open title.

Ernie traveled the world, winning many tournaments. He won the Dubai Desert Classic in Europe. He also won the Toyota World Match Play Championship. He even won it two more times in a row! No one had ever won that tournament three times in a row before. Ernie also won the GTE Byron Nelson Classic in the United States. He finished 1996 with a win at his home tournament, the South African Open.

Big Wins and Major Championships: 1997–2002

The year 1997 was a great one for Ernie. He won his second U.S. Open. This made him the first non-American player since 1910 to win the U.S. Open twice! He also won the Buick Classic again and the Johnnie Walker Classic. He almost won the World Match Play Championship for a fourth time, but he lost in the final. Ernie continued to have successful years in 1998 and 1999, winning four times on both the PGA and European tours.

In 2000, Ernie received a special award. The European Tour gave him honorary life membership. This was because of his two U.S. Open wins and three World Match Play titles. That year, Ernie finished second in many tournaments. He was runner-up in three of the major championships. In 2001, he didn't win a PGA Tour event, but he still finished second nine times.

The year 2002 was one of Ernie's best. He started by winning the Heineken Classic. Then, in America, he beat the world's number one golfer, Tiger Woods, to win the Genuity Championship. The most important moment was his win at The Open Championship. He won after a four-man playoff in tough weather. This win helped show everyone how mentally strong he was. He also won his fourth World Match Play title and his third Nedbank Challenge. He won the Nedbank Challenge by a huge 8 shots!

The "Big Five" Era: 2003–2005

Els checking his shot in 2004.

In 2003, Ernie won his first European Tour Order of Merit. This means he earned the most money on the tour that year. He won four times and finished second three times. He also did well in the United States. He won the Mercedes Championship and the Sony Open back-to-back. At the Mercedes Championship, he set a record for being 31 strokes under par! He also finished in the top 20 in all four major tournaments. To end the season, Ernie won the World Match Play title for the fifth time, tying a record.

Ernie Els smiling during a practice round in 2004.

The year 2004 was also very successful for Ernie. He won six times on different tours. This included big wins at the Memorial Tournament and his sixth World Match Play Championship, setting a new record. He played very consistently in the major tournaments. He finished second at the Masters, losing to Phil Mickelson. He also lost in a playoff at The Open Championship. Ernie finished the major season with a fourth-place finish at the PGA Championship. In total, Ernie had 16 top-10 finishes. He also won the European Order of Merit for the second year in a row.

The years from 2004 to 2007 were known as the "Big Five era" in golf. This is when Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, and Phil Mickelson were the best golfers in the world. They often traded places in the top five rankings. They won nine major championships among them, often competing against each other.

In July 2005, Ernie hurt his left knee while sailing. He missed several months of the 2005 season. But when he came back, he won his second tournament, the Dunhill Championship. After winning the 2005 Qatar Masters, Ernie became only the second golfer to win on all six of the big golf tours around the world.

Recovery and Comeback: 2006–2011

At the start of 2007, Ernie Els planned to challenge Tiger Woods for the world number one spot. He wanted to "totally re-dedicate" himself to golf. He missed the cut at the 2007 Masters. This ended his long streak of making the cut on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour.

Ernie Els at the 2008 U.S. Open.

Many people have compared Ernie Els to another famous golfer, Greg Norman. Both golfers have won multiple major championships. However, both also had some tough luck or disappointments in majors. For example, Ernie finished second in six major tournaments. He often finished second to Tiger Woods. People thought Ernie had the right game to finally beat Woods in a major.

On March 2, 2008, Ernie won the Honda Classic. He shot a great final round in windy conditions. This win ended a three-and-a-half-year period without a win on the PGA Tour for Ernie. It was his 16th PGA Tour victory. In April 2008, Ernie changed his swing coach. He wanted to improve his swing and get a fresh perspective.

Ernie finally broke his winless streak by winning the WGC-CA Championship in 2010. He won by four strokes. This was Ernie's second WGC tournament title. This victory also made Ernie the career money leader on the European Tour. Two weeks later, Ernie won the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It was his 18th PGA Tour win and his second win in a row! This win also put Ernie at the top of the FedEx Cup standings. He stayed there for 22 weeks.

In June, Ernie almost won his third U.S. Open title. He was tied for the lead for a short time. But he had a tough stretch of holes and finished in third place. Ernie ended his successful 2010 year by winning the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. He also won the South African Open. After his great 2010 season, Ernie had a harder time in 2011. He dropped out of the top 50 in the world rankings for the first time since 1993.

Fourth Major Win and Recent Years: 2012–Present

Ernie started the 2012 season in South Africa. He finished tied for second place at the Volvo Golf Champions. He then came close to winning the Transitions Championship. He needed a win to play in the 2012 Masters. Ernie led for most of the final round. But he made bogeys on the last two holes and missed a playoff. In April, Ernie did not qualify for the Masters for the first time since 1993. Many thought this might be the end of his top-level play.

However, Ernie surprised everyone by winning The Open Championship in July 2012! He made a birdie on the very last hole to win. Another golfer, Adam Scott, had a four-shot lead but made bogeys on his last four holes. Ernie's win brought his career back to life. It also gave him a five-year pass to play in the other three major tournaments. Ernie became the eighth player to win major tournaments in three different decades. His win also brought up a discussion about the long putters that some golfers use.

In June 2013, Ernie won the BMW International Open in Germany. This was his first win since The Open Championship in 2012. He led the whole tournament and won by one stroke. This was his 28th European Tour title.

Ernie had some struggles in 2014 and 2015. He missed many cuts, including at the Masters. He also had trouble with short putts, sometimes called the "yips." This got a lot of attention in the news. At the 2016 Masters, Ernie had a very tough time putting on his first hole. He took nine strokes on that hole! He later thanked his fans for their support and said he was embarrassed by his putting.

PGA Tour Champions Debut: 2020–Present

In January 2020, Ernie Els joined the PGA Tour Champions. This is a golf tour for players aged 50 and over. In his very first event, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, he tied for the lead. He lost in a playoff, but it showed he was still a great player.

In March 2020, Ernie won the Hoag Classic in California. This was only his third tournament on the PGA Tour Champions! He finished two strokes ahead of other top golfers. In October 2020, Ernie won the SAS Championship. He shot a great final round to win by one stroke.

In March 2023, Ernie won the Hoag Classic again! He shot a final round 65 to win by one stroke. He continues to be a strong competitor on the senior tour.

Personal Life

Ernie Els married his wife, Liezl, in 1998. They have two children, Samantha and Ben. In 2008, Ernie shared that their son, Ben, has autism. Since then, Ernie and Liezl have worked hard to help people understand autism. They have also raised money for autism charities.

The Els family lives in England near the Wentworth Golf Club. They also spend time in South Africa and Florida. This helps Ben get the best treatment for his autism.

Samantha Els, Ernie's daughter, recently played for the South Africa women's national rugby team! When Ernie is not playing golf, he designs golf courses. He also has a charity that helps young people in South Africa learn golf. And he even has his own winemaking business!

Golf Courses Designed by Ernie Els

Ernie Els has designed many golf courses around the world. Here are some of them:

• 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
• The Els Club – Dubai, UAE
• The Els Club Teluk Datai - Langkawi, Malaysia
• The Els Club Desaru Coast - Desaru, Malaysia
• The Els Club Copperleaf Golf and Country Estate – Gauteng, South Africa

He also helped improve the West Course at Wentworth in England in 2006.

Ernie's Global Approach to Golf

Ernie Els is known for playing in tournaments all over the world. He plays regularly in events in Asia, Australia, and his home country of South Africa. He believes that golf is a global sport. This has sometimes caused disagreements with the PGA Tour in the United States. They wanted Ernie to play more tournaments in America. But Ernie felt it was important to play worldwide.

Ernie's Foundations

The Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation started in 1999. Its goal is to find talented young golfers from less fortunate backgrounds. It helps them with education and financial support. This allows them to reach their full potential in golf.

In 2006, the first Friendship Cup was played. This is a golf competition between Ernie's foundation and Tiger Woods's foundation. Ernie's team won the first cup. Ernie also helps raise money for other charities. He often plays in the Gary Player Invitational events. These events help children in need around the world.

Helping with Autism

Since his son's autism diagnosis, Ernie and his wife have been very active in charities that help people with autism. In 2009, Ernie started an annual charity golf event. It's called the Els for Autism Pro-Am. This event raises money for The Renaissance Learning Center. This is a school for children with autism. The Els family also started the Els Center of Excellence. This project aims to build a new campus for the school. It also includes a research center for autism.

ASM Scholarships

In 2018, Ernie Els helped start a company called ASM Scholarships. This company helps young athletes from all over the world. It helps them get sports scholarships to American universities. The company has helped over 1000 athletes get scholarships. These scholarships are worth a lot of money, helping students pursue their dreams.

What Ernie Says

On His Golf Style

Ernie has a very smooth and natural golf swing. He once said:

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.

On His Son's Autism

Ernie has spoken openly about his son Ben's autism. He said:

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.

Major Championship Results

Ernie Els has had a remarkable career in major championships. Here's a summary of his performances:

• Most times making the cut in a row: 27 (from the 2000 Masters to the 2006 PGA Championship)
• Longest streak of finishing in the top 10: 5 (from the 2003 PGA Championship to the 2004 PGA Championship)

Images for kids

• 

  Els checking his shot in 2004.

• 

  Ernie Els smiling during a practice round in 2004.

• 

  Ernie Els at the 2008 U.S. Open.

See also