Ernie Els is, without question, one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport.
Els, known as “the Big Easy” for his legendarily smooth swing, has 19 wins and nearly $50-million in earnings on the PGA Tour, to go with 16 wins in South Africa and 28 on the European Tour. That’s to go with four major championships—two U.S. Opens and two British Open victories.
To celebrate one of the game’s best, we’ve put together some of the key moments in the career of Ernie Els:
Oakmont U.S. Open win—When Els arrived at the 1994, he’d already shown he had what it took to win a major championship. But Oakmont, filled with trees that would later be removed, was also considered one of the hardest courses on the planet. The tournament, which was also Arnold Palmer’s last U.S. Open appearance, demonstrated Els’ mix of length and accuracy, prevailing in a playoff over Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts.
Second U.S. Open win—Two years after winning his first, Els again battled tough U.S. Open conditions to win at Congressional, again bettering Colin Montgomerie. Many thought this would be the start of Els’ continued dominance at the U.S. Open, but the 1996 win turned out to be his last victory at the championship.
2003 Presidents Cup at Fancourt—With the Presidents Cup in his home country of South Africa, Els put on a display against Tiger Woods that has become the stuff of legends. With the matches tied, Els and Woods traded putts over three playoff holes before deciding to call the match a halve and agree to share the championship.
2012 British Open—After narrowly losing the 2004 British Open in a playoff to Todd Hamilton, Els spent most of the next decade almost winning at the Masters before finally returning with a major championship victory at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. Despite struggling with his putting, Els’ 68 in the final round put him past a faltering Adam Scott and gave him an unexpected win. He’d fly directly to Canada after the tournament to compete in the RBC Canadian Open—bringing the Claret Jug with him.
300 Top 10s—It is an incredible stat that shows just how dominant Els has been over his 30-year career. Earlier this year, Els recorded his 300th Top 10 showing, the only player to do so in the era of the World Golf Rankings. It might not be a solitary event—but part of Els’ legacy is that he’s been a great player for decades. And don’t discount the fact he might still have something left in the tank—Els says he’s trying to get his game back in shape even as he turns 50.
Els for Autism Foundation—When his son was diagnosed as autistic, Els and his wife, Lizie, put significant effort into raising funds to help people and families struggling with the condition. The goal of the foundation is to help people with autism reach their full potential.