Having made his name at junior level, beating future heavyweight Phil Mickelson to the Junior World Golf Championship, Ernie Els quickly became one of the best young players in the game. He would win the South African Amateur Championship just after his 17th birthday, becoming the youngest ever winner of the contest – prompting him to go professional in 1989.
He didn’t waste time making a name for himself, as he won the Sunshine Tour and the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in 1991-92. A year later he won his first tournament outside of South Africa, at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan.
It took just five years from turning pro for Els to write his name in the history books. After joining the European Tour in 1992 and the PGA Tour in 1994, Els won the US Open in 1994. The tournament was tied between himself, Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts after 72 holes, taking the trio to an 18-hole play-off the next day. Despite a poor start, Els recaptured his form to match Roberts’ 74, taking the duo to sudden death. There he would win the US Open with a birdie on the play-off second hole. He was subsequently named European Tour Player of the Year and PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1994.
He would follow up his success with three consecutive World Match Play Championship wins, becoming the first player in history to do so in the one-on-one. He had a second major in his sights and in 1997 recorded his second US Open win, once again over Colin Montgomerie. With the win, he would become the first foreign player since Alex Smith in 1910 to win the US Open on to occasions.
In the year 2000, the Board of Directors of the European Tour recognised his remarkable achievements in golf, awarding him an honorary life membership of the European Tour for his three World Matchplay titles and two US Open victories. In 2002, Els would win the Open Championship, the highlight of an impressive year for him, after he outplayed Tiger Woods to win the Genuity Championship.
A masterful former golfer, affectionately known as “The Big Easy” due to his 6 ft 3 frame and ease of swing, Ernie Els is a world-renowned golfer who entered the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2010 at his first attempt. Today, Els offers an entertaining, inspiring motivational speech that captures the intense and unprecedented success he had in sports. Talking topics from golf to determination, maximising success to peak performance, Ernie Els is a must-have at corporate and sporting events.
