Ernie Els
Ernie Els
Personal information
Full name
Theodore Ernest Els
Nickname
The Big Easy
Born
17 October 1969
(1969-10-17)
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
24 (7th all time)
Japan Golf Tour
1
Sunshine Tour
15
Other
13
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 professional
golfer who has been one of the top profes-
sional 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. Among his numerous victories are
three major championships: the U.S. Open in
1994 at the Oakmont Country Club and 1997
at the Congressional Country Club, and the
The Open Championship in 2002 at Muir-
field.[1]
Other highlights in Els’ career include top-
ping 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 ranked in the top ten for a record
750 weeks.[2]
Background and family
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 Champion-
ships at age 13.