Ernie Els is, without question, one of South Africa’s finest ever golfing exports, with four majors and a senior major in his career.
Born in the South African city of Johannesburg in October 1969, Els played a number of sports in his youth. He took up golf at the age of 8, and started to focus properly on the game at 14, when he had made it down to a scratch handicap. He would then turn professional in 1989, and be winning tournaments within a year.
Els started out with victories on the Sunshine Tour, before then plying his trade for many years on the European Tour (now DP World Tour). He won his first major championship in 1994, taking victory at Oakmont in the US Open. In the end, he had to play 92 holes to secure the victory, going through an 18-hole playoff against Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts, before then beating the latter on the second extra hole in sudden death.
Three years later, he won the US Open for a second time, before securing a third major title at the Open Championship in 2002 – again in a playoff. A decade passed before Els won his fourth major, with that also seeing him lift the Claret Jug. He has also gone on to win a senior major title – the Kaulig Companies Championship – winning the PGA Tour Champions major in 2023.
In total, Els has 79 worldwide victories, including seven World Match Play Championships, seven wins on the PGA Tour Champions, three World Golf Championships wins, and victories on the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour and PGA of Japan Tour. Els has also featured for the International Team on eight occasions at the Presidents Cup, along with being the non-playing captain of the side in 2019.
Ernie Els | Player Profile
Personal Information
Name: Theodore Ernest Els
Born: October 17, 1969
Nationality: South Africa
Residence: Wentworth, Surrey, England / George, Western Cape, South Africa / Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, United States
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Career
Turned Pro: 1989
Professional Wins: 79
Highest World Ranking: 1 – June 22, 1997
Best Results In Majors
Best Finishes:
– Masters Tournament – 2nd (2000, 2004)
– PGA Championship – 3rd/T3 (1995, 2007)
– US Open – WON (1994, 1997)
– Open Championship – WON (2002, 2012)
Professional Wins – 79
1990 (2) – Spoornet SA Classic, Highveld Classic
1991 (1) – Amatola Sun Classic
1992 (6) – Protea Assurance South African Open, Lexington PGA Championship, EVS South African Masters, Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Classic, FNB Players Championship, Goodyear Classic
1993 (2) – Dunlop Phoenix Tournament
1994 (5) – Dubai Desert Classic, US Open, Toyota World Match Play Championship, Sarazen World Open, Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
1995 (4) – Bell’s Cup, Lexington South African PGA Championship, GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic, Toyota World Match Play Championship
1996 (6) – Philips South African Open, Buick Classic, Toyota World Match Play Championship, Johnnie Walker Super Tour, World Cup of Golf, World Cup of Golf Team
1997 (4) – Johnnie Walker Classic, US Open, Buick Classic, MasterCard PGA Grand Clam of Golf
1998 (2) – South African Open, Bay Hill Invitational
1999 (3) – Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship, Nissan Open, Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge
2000 (3) – Standard Life Loch Lomond, The International, Nedbank Golf Challenge
2001 (2) – Vodacom Players Championship, WGC-World Cup
2002 (6) – Heineken Classic, Genuity Championship, Dubai Desert Classic, Open Championship, Cisco World Match Play Championship, Nedbank Golf Challenge
2003 (7) – Mercedes Championships, Sony Open in Hawaii, Heineken Classic, Johnnie Walker Classic, Barclays Scottish Open, Omega European Masters, HSBC World Match Play Championship
2004 (6) – Sony Open in Hawaii, Heineken Classic, Memorial Tournament, WGC-American Express Championship, HSBC World Match Play Championship, Nelson Mandela Invitational
2005 (4) – Dubai Desert Classic, Qatar Masters, BMW Asian Open, Dunhill Championship
2006 (1) – South African Airways Open
2007 (1) – HSBC World Match Play Championship
2008 (2) – Honda Classic, Hassan II Golf Trophy
2010 (4) – WGC-CA Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, South African Open Championship, PGA Grand Slam of Golf
2012 (1) – Open Championship
2013 (1) – BMW International Open
PGA Tour Champions
2020 (2) – Hoag Classic, SAS Championship
2023 (1) – Hoag Classic
2024 (3) – Principal Charity Classic, American Family Insurance Championship, Kaulig Companies Championship
2025 (1) – Mitsubishi Electric Championship and Hualalai
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Achievements and Awards
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
World Golf Hall of Fame – 2011
Payne Stewart Award – 2015
Old Tom Morris Award – 2018
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Ernie Els
When and where was Ernie Els born?
Ernie Els was born in Johannesburg in South Africa in October 1969. He started playing golf at the age of 8, and would become a scratch golfer by the age of 14.
When did Ernie Els turn professional?
Ernie Els turned professional in 1989, just prior to his 20th birthday. He would go on to win his first professional tournament a year later, before then making his mark on the European Tour.
How many major titles has Ernie Els won?
Ernie Els is a four-time major champion, having won both the US Open and the Open Championship on two occasions. He was victorious in 1994 and 1997 at the US Open, before then winning the Open Championship in 2002 and 2012.
Who is Ernie Els dating/married to?
Ernie Els is married to wife Liezl, with the pair tying the knot back in 1998. They have two children – Samanthan and Ben. Samantha is a professional rugby union player, and has played internationally for South Africa.
Did You Know?
Match Play Man
Els was not only great over a four-day stroke play competition, but he also won the World Match Play Championship on a record seven occasions. Those wins spanned a 13-year period from 1994 to 2007, including twice winning the tournament in three consecutive years.
First to $25 Million
Thanks to Els’ performances, and an upturn in prize money in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Els was the first man to reach the $25 million mark in earnings on the European Tour.
Just how good was Ernie Els in his prime? Should he have won more majors, though? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
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