Ernie Els, affectionately known as “The Big Easy” for his smooth and effortless swing, is a South African professional golfer whose illustrious career has left an indelible mark on the sport.
Theodore Ernest Els was born on October 17, 1969, in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Neels and Hettie Els. He has a brother, Dirk Els.
From a young age, Els exhibited a natural talent for sports, excelling in tennis, cricket, soccer, and rugby. At 13, he won the Eastern Transvaal Junior Tennis Championships, but by 14, he had shifted his focus entirely to golf. Els first learned the game of golf from his father Neels, a trucking executive, at the Germiston Golf course.
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 a few months after his 17th birthday, becoming the youngest-ever winner of that event, breaking the record which had been held since 1935 by Bobby Locke.
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Ernie Els' Swing Secrets
Professional Career
Els turned professional in 1989, quickly making a name for himself with his powerful swing and calm demeanor. In 1991, he began playing on the Southern Africa Tour.
In 1992, he won the Protea Assurance South African Open, his first professional win. He won the tour's Order of Merit during the 1991/92 and 1994/95 seasons. In 1993, Els won his first tournament outside of South Africa at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan.
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 4 & 2. The following year, Els defended his World Match Play Championship, defeating Steve Elkington 3 & 1.
Els won the GTE 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 at Wentworth, defeating Vijay Singh in the final 3 & 2.
Els won his first major championship at the U.S. Open in 1994, where he triumphed at Oakmont Country Club. He followed this with a second U.S. Open title in 1997 at Congressional Country Club.
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In 2002, Els won his first Open Championship at Muirfield, and he added a second in 2012 at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Els surprised the golfing world by winning the 2012 Open Championship in July by birding the 72nd hole. Adam Scott led by four shots after a birdie at the 14th hole, but bogeyed the final four holes to miss a playoff with Els by one stroke. Els rose to fifteenth in the world rankings after winning the 2012 Open Championship.
Els overcame a four-man playoff to take home the famous Claret Jug trophy for the first time, also quieting his critics about his mental toughness. Els's win rejuvenated his career and earned him 5-year exemptions to the other 3 majors.
Els became the eighth player to win major tournaments in three different decades, joining his countryman Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Billy Casper, Raymond Floyd, John Henry Taylor, and Harry Vardon (Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have since become the ninth and tenth, respectively).
In June 2013, Els won for the first time since the 2012 Open Championship at the BMW International Open in Munich, Germany. He claimed a wire-to-wire victory with a one-stroke win over Thomas Bjørn for his 28th European Tour title.
In January 2020, Els joined the PGA Tour Champions shortly after his 50th birthday. In March 2020, Els won the Hoag Classic in Newport Beach, California. In October 2020, Els won the SAS Championship in Cary, North Carolina.
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As a former World No.1, Ernie is one of the most prolific winners of his generation and the global reach of his victories is almost without parallel. Ernie has triumphed in tournaments in South Africa, Europe, the US, Asia, the Far East, the Middle East and Australasia.
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011 and the South African Golf Hall of Fame in 2009.
Other highlights in Els's 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 €25,000,000 from European Tour events. He has held the number one spot in the Official World Golf Ranking and until 2013 held the record for weeks ranked in the top ten with 788.
His success did not stop there. Els had a 14-foot (4.3 m) putt for birdie on the final hole of regulation for the Open at Royal Troon, but he missed the putt and lost in the playoff.
2004 was the start of the "Big Five era", the era in golf in which Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Phil Mickelson dominated the game. 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.
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, both share disappointment in majors. Their disappointments have ranged from nerves, bad luck, and being outplayed. 1996 was the year where Norman collapsed in the Masters, whereas the year before Els did in the PGA Championship.
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. It was Els's 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. The win at Bay Hill also vaulted Els to the top of the FedEx Cup standings.
After his successful 2010 season, Els struggled to find his form in 2011. 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 was next in contention at the Transitions Championship, where he needed a win to qualify for the 2012 Masters. Els 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 a playoff. The tournament was eventually won by Luke Donald.
In April, Els failed to qualify for the Masters for the first time since 1993. He was ranked 58th in the world prior to the tournament (the top 50 are given automatic invitations).
Els struggled to find his form throughout the 2014 season. He finished 4th at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in February, 5th at The Barclays and 7th at the PGA Championship, but struggled with missed cuts, including a missed cut at the Masters in April. Els's struggles continued into 2015 when he made only 10 cuts on the PGA Tour.
In preparation for the anchored putter ban in 2016, Els switched back to the short putter in late 2015. Els's struggles with short putts, or the "yips", became the draw of much media attention in early 2016. At the 2016 Masters Tournament, Els's putting was again the source of negative publicity when he six-putted from 3 feet on his opening hole.
Golf Course Design and Business Ventures
Beyond his playing career, Els has made significant contributions to golf course design, creating courses such as The Els Club Dubai and The Els Club Malaysia.
Away from the golf course, Ernie has found success in golf course design and hospitality, including The Els Club Collection, Els Performance Golf Academy, Els Club Estates and Big Easy Winebar & Grill, along with an award- winning wine portfolio created by Ernie Els Wines in the heart of South Africa’s wine country, Stellenbosch.
In recent years, Ernie has also launched his own pet products business and a range of authentic, traditional Biltong.
Philanthropic Efforts
Els is known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly in autism awareness, following the diagnosis of his son, Ben. Ernie Els has uniquely transcended his sport by virtue of his groundbreaking charitable endeavors and fundraising.
The Els for Autism Foundation was established in 2009 by Ernie, his wife Liezl, and Marvin R. Shanken. The Foundation offers innovative, evidence-based programs for families and individuals across the life-span in six focus areas: Education, Research, Global Support, Recreation Services, Adult Services and Therapy Services.
The Foundation serves families around the world and also offers in-person programs and services at The Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter, Florida, a world-class, 26-acre campus that is home to three separate non-profit organizations: The Els for Autism Foundation, The Learning Center and The Learning Academy.
Established in 1999, Ernie’s other great philanthropic passion is The Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation in South Africa. The foundation delivers educational assistance and golfing opportunities to young individuals, predominantly from families of limited resources.
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 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.
Personal Life and Family
Ernie Els married Liezl Els in 1998, and the couple has two children: daughter Samantha Leigh Els and son Ben Neels Els.
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. Their main residence is at the Wentworth Estate near Wentworth Golf Club in the south of England.
Net Worth
Ernie Els has an estimated net worth of $85 million, accumulated through his successful golfing career, endorsement deals, and business ventures. He has earned just under $50 million in tournament prize money and continues to generate income from various endeavors, including golf course design and winemaking.
Legacy
Ernie Els remains a respected figure in the golfing world, with ongoing involvement in tournaments and business ventures. Ernie Els’ life and career are a testament to talent, perseverance, and compassion.
With an illustrious golfing career, numerous accolades, and significant philanthropic contributions, Els’ legacy extends far beyond the green. His journey from a young golfer in Johannesburg to one of the most recognized names in the sport is an inspiring story of passion and success.
