Former World No. 1 and South African professional golfer, Theodore Ernest Els has always put South Africa on the world map with his exploits in the golf world. He has 71 career victories to his name including two ‘US Open’ championships and two ‘The Open’ championships
Ernie Els Age
He was born on 17 October 1969, in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is 50 years old as of 2019.
Ernie Els Height
Els stands at a height of 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m). His imposing physical stature and his fluid golf swing earned him the nickname “The Big Easy”.
Ernie Els Parents
Ernest was born to Neels and Hettie Els. His father, Neels was a trucking executive at the Germiston Golf course and taught Ernie the game of golf. He has a brother named Dirk Els.
Ernie Els Early Life
Growing up, Els loved sports. He engaged in playing cricket, rugby and tennis. As a junior tennis player at 13 years old, he won the Eastern Transvaal Junior Championships.
He developed an interest in golf from his father who worked in a golf course. His father taught him the principles of the sport and before the age of 14, he was already a scratch handicap. This increased his interest in golf and so concentrated solely on the sport.
Before the age of 17, Ernie Els had already won the Junior World Golf Championship in the Boys 13–14 category and the South African Amateur Championship.
Ernie Els Wife
Els is married to Liezl Els. They got married on December 31, 1998, in Cape Town. Ernie and Liezi have two children, Samantha Leigh Els and Ben Neels Els. The former World No. 1, together with his wife, has shown enormous support in creating awareness on autism as their son, Ben is autistic.
They live at the Wentworth Estate near Wentworth Golf Club in the south of England. They also spend some time in South Africa and the United States.
Ernie Els Career
| Turned professional | 1989 |
|---|---|
| Current tour(s) | European Tour (joined 1992) PGA Tour (joined 1994) PGA Tour Champions (joined 2019) |
| Professional wins | 71 |
| Highest ranking | 1 (22 June 1997) (9 weeks) |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 19 |
| European Tour | 28 (7th all-time) |
| Japan Golf Tour | 1 |
| Asian Tour | 3 |
| Sunshine Tour | 16 (9th all-time) |
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 5 |
| PGA Tour Champions | 1 |
| Other | 18 |
Ernie Els 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 |
| Payne Stewart Award | 2015 |
| Old Tom Morris Award | 2018 |
Ernie Els Business Ventures
- 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
Ernie Els Net Worth
Els has an estimated net worth of $85 million. The major source of his earnings is from playing golf.
Ernie Els Foundation
The Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation was established in 1999. It has the objective of identifying youths from underprivileged backgrounds who show talent and potential in the game of golf. It provides educational assistance amongst other moral and financial help in order for these youths to reach their full potential.
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