Ernie Els From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Ernie Els Personal information Full name Theodore Ernest Els Nickname The Big Easy Born 17 October 1969 (1969-10-17) (age 39) Johannesburg, South Africa Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Weight 220 lb (100 kg; 16 st) Residence Wentworth, England; George, South Africa 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 60 Number of wins by tour PGA Tour 16 European Tour 22 (tied 6th all time) Sunshine Tour 15 Other 14 Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 3) The Masters 2nd: 2000, 2004 U.S. Open Won: 1994, 1997 Open Championship Won: 2002 PGA Championship 3rd/T3: 1995, 2007 Achievements and awards 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 (born 17 October 1969) is a South African 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", for his imposing physical stature (he stands 1.90 metres) along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing. Contents [hide] 1 Early life 2 Family 3 Career overview 4 Professional career 5 Amateur wins (4) 6 PGA Tour wins (16) 7 European Tour wins (22) 8 Sunshine Tour wins (15) 9 Other wins (14) 10 PGA and European Tour career summary 11 Major championships 11.1 Wins (3) 11.2 Results timeline 11.3 Summary 12 Results in World Golf Championship events 13 Team appearances 14 Els-designed golf courses 15 Foundation 16 Quotes 17 See also 18 References 19 External links [edit] Early life 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. (The Boys 9-10 category was won by Tiger Woods.) [edit] Family 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 five year old son was autistic.[1] Their main residence is at the Wentworth Estate near Wentworth Golf Club in the south of England. The family also has a home in Jupiter, Florida in order to get better treatment for Ben's autism.[2] [edit] Career overview Among Els numerous victories are three major championships: Els won the U.S. Open in 1994 at the Oakmont Country Club and 1997 (this time at the Congressional Country Club), and the The Open Championship in 2002.[3] Ernie Els shares a laugh during the practice round for the 2004 Buick ClassicOther 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 has held the number one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings and has been consistently ranked in the top five.[4] He has been in the top ten for over 750 weeks; nobody has been in the top ten longer.[5] In 2003 he was voted 37th on the SABC3's Great South Africans. He won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in the 1991/92 and 1994/95 seasons. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Els is known for his willingness to participate in tournaments all around the world (he regularly plays 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, but it has caused some friction with the U.S. 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. [edit] Professional career 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). 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. The play-off consisted of 18 holes of golf but Els and Roberts were still tied by the end with Els eventually prevailing on the second hole of sudden death. 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 tournamnet 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 less 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 of the season Els won the World Match Play title for a record tying fifth time. 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 didn't 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 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. 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 derailing of Tiger Woods as the best golfer in the world. The five stayed, for the most part in the top five spots from 2004 till the start of 2007. Nine majors where won between them many fighting against each other head to head. Ernie Els checks his shot at Westchester Country ClubIn 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."[6] 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 March 2, 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. Els is 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. On April 8, 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. [edit] Amateur wins (4) 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 [edit] PGA Tour wins (16) Legend Major Championships (3) World Golf Championships (1) Other PGA Tour (12) No. Date Tournament Winning Score Margin of Victory Runners up 1. Jun. 20, 1994 U.S. Open -5 (69-71-66-73-74=279) Playoff Colin Montgomerie, Loren Roberts 2. May. 14, 1995 GTE Byron Nelson Classic -17 (69-61-65-68=263) 3 strokes Robin Freeman, Mike Heinen, D. A. Weibring 3. Jun. 9, 1996 Buick Classic -13 (65-66-69-71=271) 8 strokes Steve Elkington, Tom Lehman, Jeff Maggert, Craig Parry 4. Jun. 15, 1997 U.S. Open -14 (71-67-69-69=276) 1 stroke Colin Montgomerie 5. Jun. 22, 1997 Buick Classic -14 (64-68-67-69=268) 2 strokes Jeff Maggert 6. Mar. 22, 1998 Bay Hill Invitational -14 (67-69-65-73=274) 4 strokes Bob Estes, Jeff Maggert 7. Feb. 21, 1999 Nissan Open -14 (68-66-68-68=270) 2 strokes Davis Love III, Ted Tryba, Tiger Woods 8. Aug. 6, 2000 The International (15-19-6-8=48) 4 points Phil Mickelson 9. Mar. 3, 2002 Genuity Championship -17 (66-67-66-72=271) 2 strokes Tiger Woods 10. Jul. 21, 2002 The Open Championship -6 (70-66-72-70=278) Playoff Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington, Thomas Levet 11. Jan. 12, 2003 Mercedes Championships -31 (64-65-65-67 = 261) 8 strokes K.J. Choi, Rocco Mediate 12. Jan. 19, 2003 Sony Open in Hawaii -16 (66-65-66-67=264) Playoff Aaron Baddeley 13. Jan. 18, 2004 Sony Open in Hawaii -18 (67-64-66-65=262) Playoff Harrison Frazar 14. June. 6, 2004 Memorial Tournament -18 (68-70-66-66=270) 4 strokes Fred Couples 15. Oct. 3, 2004 WGC-American Express Championship -18 (69-64-68-69=270) 1 stroke Thomas Bjørn 16. Mar. 2, 2008 Honda Classic -6 (67-70-70-67=274) 1 stroke Luke Donald [edit] European Tour wins (22) 1994 (1) Dubai Desert Classic 1995 (1) Lexington South African PGA Championship 1997 (1) Johnnie Walker Classic 1998 (1) South African Open 1999 (1) Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship 2000 (1) Standard Life Loch Lomond 2002 (3) Heineken Classic, Dubai Desert Classic, The Open Championship 2003 (4) Heineken Classic, Johnnie Walker Classic, Barclays Scottish Open, Omega European Masters 2004 (3) Heineken Classic, WGC-American Express Championship, HSBC World Match Play Championship 2005 (3) Dubai Desert Classic, Qatar Masters, BMW Asian Open 2006 (1) Dunhill Championship (2005 calendar year, 2006 European Tour season) 2007 (2) South African Airways Open (2006 calendar year, 2007 European Tour season), HSBC World Match Play Championship Els's victories in The Open and the WGC-American Express Championship count as wins on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. His two U.S. Opens do not count as European Tour wins because the three U.S. based majors did not become part of the European Tour's official schedule until 1998. [edit] Sunshine Tour wins (15) 1991 (1) Amatola Sun Classic 1992 (6) Protea Assurance South African Open, Lexington South African PGA Championship, South African Masters, Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Classic, First National Bank Players Championship, Goodyear Classic 1995 (2) Bell's Cup, Lexington South African PGA Championship (co-sanctioned with European Tour) 1996 (1) Philips South African Open 1998 (1) South African Open (co-sanctioned with European Tour) 1999 (1) Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship (co-sanctioned with European Tour) 2001 (1) Vodacom Players Championship 2005 (1) Dunhill Championship (co-sanctioned with European Tour, 2006 season) 2006 (1) South African Airways Open (co-sanctioned with European Tour, 2007 season) [edit] Other wins (14) 1993 (1) Dunlop Phoenix (Japan Golf Tour) 1994 (3) Toyota World Match Play Championship (unofficial money European Tour event), Sarazen World Open, Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship 1995 (1) Toyota World Match Play Championship (unofficial money European Tour event) 1996 (1) Toyota World Match Play Championship (unofficial money European Tour event) 1997 (1) PGA Grand Slam of Golf (unofficial money PGA Tour event) 1999 (1) Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge (unofficial money Sunshine Tour event) 2000 (1) Nedbank Golf Challenge (unofficial money Sunshine Tour event) 2002 (2) Nedbank Golf Challenge (unofficial money Sunshine Tour event), Cisco World Match Play Championship (unofficial money European Tour event) 2003 (1) HSBC World Match Play Championship (unofficial money European Tour event) 2004 (1) Nelson Mandela Invitational (unofficial money Sunshine Tour event; with Vincent Tshabalala) 2008 (1) Hassan II Golf Trophy [edit] PGA and European Tour career summary PGA Tour European Tour Season Wins (Majors) Earnings ($) 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 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 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 5 €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 $495,676 31 0 €280,478 17 Career* 15 (3) $34,159,077 6 23 (1) €22,078,697 2 * As of 1 March 2009 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. [edit] Major championships [edit] Wins (3) Year Championship 54 Holes Winning Score Margin Runner(s)-up 1994 U.S. Open 2 shot lead -5 (69-71-66-73=279) Playoff 1 Colin Montgomerie, Loren Roberts 1997 U.S. Open (2) 2 shot deficit -4 (71-67-69-69=276) 1 stroke Colin Montgomerie 2002 The Open Championship 2 shot lead -6 (70-66-72-70=278) Playoff 2 Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington, Thomas Levet 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) [edit] Results timeline 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 Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 The Masters 2 T6 T5 T6 2 47 T27 CUT CUT U.S. Open T2 T66 T24 T5 T9 T15 T26 T51 T14 The Open Championship T2 T3 1 T18 2 T34 3 T4 T7 PGA Championship T34 T13 T34 T5 T4 DNP T16 3 T31 DNP = did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" = tied Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10. [edit] Summary Starts - 65 Wins - 3 2nd place finishes - 6 3rd place finishes - 4 Top 5 finishes - 20 Top 10 finishes - 28 Longest streak of top-10s in majors - 5 [edit] Results in World Golf Championship events Tournament 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Accenture Match Play Championship R64 R32 4 R32 R64 DNP DNP R64 R64 R64 QF CA Championship T40 WD NT1 T23 T12 1 DNP 5 T11 75 Bridgestone Invitational 5 T12 T8 T15 T17 T65 DNP T31 T22 T27 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. [edit] Team appearances 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 [edit] Els-designed golf courses 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 Dunes - Dubai, UAE Gardener Ross Golf and Country Estate - Gauteng, South Africa [edit] Foundation 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 friend Gary Player raise significant funds for underpriveledged children around the world. [edit] Quotes "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."[7] —Els to Golf Digest [edit] See also Golfers with most major championship wins Golfers with most PGA Tour wins Golfers with most European Tour wins List of African golfers [edit] References ^ Ernie Els speaks out over son's autism, The Daily Telegraph, March 11 2008 ^ PGA, Els Family Tee Up to Raise Awareness, Autism Speaks, e-Speaks, May 2, 2008 ^ "Ernie Els: Career Detail". PGATour.com. http://www.pgatour.com/players/00/65/22/career/1994.html. Retrieved on 2007-11-07. ^ "Ernie Els History". http://www.ernieels.com/history.asp. Retrieved on 2007-11-07. ^ "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 on 2009-01-16. ^ Els has 3-year plan to catch Woods as world's No. 1 ^ The Gigantic Book of Golf Quotations, ed. Jim Apfelbaum. 2007. [edit] External links Official site Profile on official PGA Tour site Profile on official European Tour site Profile on official Sunshine Tour site Results in ranking events for the last two years from the Official World Golf Rankings site [show]v • d • eWorld Number ones since 1986 Seve Ballesteros | Fred Couples | David Duval | Ernie Els | Nick Faldo | Bernhard Langer | Tom Lehman | Greg Norman | Nick Price | Vijay Singh | Tiger Woods* | Ian Woosnam *Tiger Woods (USA) is the current World No. 1, and has spent the most weeks in that position, currently over 500. [show]v • d • eU.S. Open champions 1895 Horace Rawlins · 1896 James Foulis · 1897 Joe Lloyd · 1898 Fred Herd · 1899 Willie Smith · 1900 Harry Vardon · 1901 Willie Anderson · 1902 Laurie Auchterlonie · 1903 Willie Anderson · 1904 Willie Anderson · 1905 Willie Anderson · 1906 Alex Smith · 1907 Alec Ross · 1908 Fred McLeod · 1909 George Sargent · 1910 Alex Smith · 1911 John McDermott · 1912 John McDermott · 1913 Francis Ouimet · 1914 Walter Hagen · 1915 Jerome Travers · 1916 Chick Evans · 1917-18 Cancelled due to World War I · 1919 Walter Hagen · 1920 Ted Ray · 1921 Jim Barnes · 1922 Gene Sarazen · 1923 Bobby Jones · 1924 Cyril Walker · 1925 Willie Macfarlane · 1926 Bobby Jones · 1927 Tommy Armour · 1928 Johnny Farrell · 1929 Bobby Jones · 1930 Bobby Jones · 1931 Billy Burke · 1932 Gene Sarazen · 1933 Johnny Goodman · 1934 Olin Dutra · 1935 Sam Parks, Jr. · 1936 Tony Manero · 1937 Ralph Guldahl · 1938 Ralph Guldahl · 1939 Byron Nelson · 1940 Lawson Little · 1941 Craig Wood · 1942-45 Cancelled due to World War II · 1946 Lloyd Mangrum · 1947 Lew Worsham · 1948 Ben Hogan · 1949 Cary Middlecoff · 1950 Ben Hogan · 1951 Ben Hogan · 1952 Julius Boros · 1953 Ben Hogan · 1954 Ed Furgol · 1955 Jack Fleck · 1956 Cary Middlecoff · 1957 Dick Mayer · 1958 Tommy Bolt · 1959 Billy Casper · 1960 Arnold Palmer · 1961 Gene Littler · 1962 Jack Nicklaus · 1963 Julius Boros · 1964 Ken Venturi · 1965 Gary Player · 1966 Billy Casper · 1967 Jack Nicklaus · 1968 Lee Trevino · 1969 Orville Moody · 1970 Tony Jacklin · 1971 Lee Trevino · 1972 Jack Nicklaus · 1973 Johnny Miller · 1974 Hale Irwin · 1975 Lou Graham · 1976 Jerry Pate · 1977 Hubert Green · 1978 Andy North · 1979 Hale Irwin · 1980 Jack Nicklaus · 1981 David Graham · 1982 Tom Watson · 1983 Larry Nelson · 1984 Fuzzy Zoeller · 1985 Andy North · 1986 Raymond Floyd · 1987 Scott Simpson · 1988 Curtis Strange · 1989 Curtis Strange · 1990 Hale Irwin · 1991 Payne Stewart · 1992 Tom Kite · 1993 Lee Janzen · 1994 Ernie Els · 1995 Corey Pavin · 1996 Steve Jones · 1997 Ernie Els · 1998 Lee Janzen · 1999 Payne Stewart · 2000 Tiger Woods · 2001 Retief Goosen · 2002 Tiger Woods · 2003 Jim Furyk · 2004 Retief Goosen · 2005 Michael Campbell · 2006 Geoff Ogilvy · 2007 Ángel Cabrera · 2008 Tiger Woods [show]v • d • eThe Open champions 1860 Willie Park, Snr. · 1861 Tom Morris, Sr. · 1862 Tom Morris, Sr. · 1863 Willie Park, Snr. · 1864 Tom Morris, Sr. · 1865 Andrew Strath · 1866 Willie Park, Snr. · 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, Snr. · 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, Jnr. · 1888 Jack Burns · 1889 Willie Park, Jnr. · 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 Richard 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 DeVicenzo · 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 Severiano Ballesteros · 1980 Tom Watson · 1981 Bill Rogers · 1982 Tom Watson · 1983 Tom Watson · 1984 Severiano Ballesteros · 1985 Sandy Lyle · 1986 Greg Norman · 1987 Nick Faldo · 1988 Severiano 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 [show]v • d • ePGA Tour Rookies of the Year 1990 Robert Gamez · 1991 John Daly · 1992 Mark Carnevale · 1993 Vijay Singh · 1994 Ernie Els · 1995 Woody Austin · 1996 Tiger Woods · 1997 Stewart Cink · 1998 Steve Flesch · 1999 Carlos Franco · 2000 Michael Clark II · 2001 Charles Howell III · 2002 Jonathan Byrd · 2003 Ben Curtis · 2004 Todd Hamilton · 2005 Sean O'Hair · 2006 Trevor Immelman · 2007 Brandt Snedeker · 2008 Andrés Romero [show]v • d • eEuropean Tour Order of Merit winners 1971 Peter Oosterhuis • 1972 Peter Oosterhuis • 1973 Peter Oosterhuis • 1974 Peter Oosterhuis • 1975 Dale Hayes • 1976 Seve Ballesteros • 1977 Seve Ballesteros • 1978 Seve Ballesteros • 1979 Sandy Lyle • 1980 Sandy Lyle • 1981 Bernhard Langer • 1982 Greg Norman • 1983 Nick Faldo • 1984 Bernhard Langer • 1985 Sandy Lyle • 1986 Seve Ballesteros • 1987 Ian Woosnam • 1988 Seve Ballesteros • 1989 Ronan Rafferty • 1990 Ian Woosnam • 1991 Seve Ballesteros • 1992 Nick Faldo • 1993 Colin Montgomerie • 1994 Colin Montgomerie • 1995 Colin Montgomerie • 1996 Colin Montgomerie • 1997 Colin Montgomerie • 1998 Colin Montgomerie • 1999 Colin Montgomerie • 2000 Lee Westwood • 2001 Retief Goosen • 2002 Retief Goosen • 2003 Ernie Els • 2004 Ernie Els • 2005 Colin Montgomerie • 2006 Pádraig Harrington • 2007 Justin Rose • 2008 Robert Karlsson [show]v • d • eEuropean Tour Golfer of the Year 1985 Bernhard Langer • 1986 Seve Ballesteros • 1987 Ian Woosnam • 1988 Seve Ballesteros • 1989 Nick Faldo • 1990 Nick Faldo • 1991 Seve Ballesteros • 1992 Nick Faldo • 1993 Bernhard Langer • 1994 Ernie Els • 1995 Colin Montgomerie • 1996 Colin Montgomerie • 1997 Colin Montgomerie • 1998 Lee Westwood • 1999 Colin Montgomerie • 2000 Lee Westwood • 2001 Retief Goosen • 2002 Ernie Els • 2003 Ernie Els • 2004 Vijay Singh • 2005 Michael Campbell • 2006 Paul Casey • 2007 Pádraig Harrington • 2008 Pádraig Harrington Persondata NAME Els, Theodore Ernest ALTERNATIVE NAMES The Big Easy SHORT DESCRIPTION Professional golfer DATE OF BIRTH 17 October 1969 PLACE OF BIRTH Johannesburg, South Africa DATE OF DEATH PLACE OF DEATH Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Els" Categories: 1969 births | Living people | Afrikaner people | European Tour golfers | Golf writers and broadcasters | People from George, Western Cape | People from Johannesburg | People from Wentworth | PGA Tour golfers | South African expatriates in the United Kingdom | South African golfers | Sunshine Tour golfers | Winners of men's major golf championships | Parents of people on the autistic spectrum