Ernie Els

Player Notes

Els' first significant international victory was at the Junior World Golf Championship, defeating a young Phil Mickelson in a playoff. Els was South African Amateur Champion at the age of 16, and at the age of 22, he became the first since Gary Player in 1979 to win the South Africa Open, PGA and Masters titles on the South African Tour. His great breakthrough year came two years later, as the 24-year-old Els won the 1994 U.S. Open (in a playoff over Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie) and five other global events. In 1997 Els would once again win the U.S. Open. . .He joined the PGA Tour at the end of 1994, and with his win at the 1999 Nissan Open became the first player since Jack Nicklaus to win at least once in each of his first six years on tour (Nicklaus went 17 years before his first winless season). . .First foreign player since Alex Smith in 1906 and 1910 to win the U.S. Open more than once. . .Member of three tours simultaneously (PGA Tour, European and South African) . . .Played in the President Cup in 1996, '98 & 2000.

Career Victories

European Tour
14 - 1994 Dubai Desert, U.S. Open, 1995 Lexington South African PGA, 1997 Johnnie Walker Classic, U.S. Open, 1998 South African Open, 1999 Dunhill South African PGA, 2000 Standard Life Loch Lomond, 2002 Heineken Classic, Dubai Desert Classic, British Open, 2003 Heineken Classic, Johnnie Walker Classic, Barclays Scottish Open.

PGA Tour
12 - 1994 U.S. Open, 1995 GTE Byron Nelson Classic, 1996 Buick Classic, 1997 U.S. Open, Buick Classic, 1998 Bay Hill Invitational, 1999 Nissan Open, 2000 International Presented By Qwest, 2002 Genuity Championship, British Open, 2003 Mercedes Championship, Sony Open in Hawaii.

Other
1992 Protea Assurance South African Open, Lexington PGA Championship, South African Masters, Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Classic, First National Bank Players Championship, Goodyear Classic, 1993 Dunlop Phoenix, 1994 Sarazen World Open, Johnnie Walker World Championship, Toyota World Match Play Championship, Sarazen World Open, 1995 Bells Open, Toyota World Match Play Championship 1996 South African Open, Toyota World Match Play, Johnnie Walker Super Tour Event. 1997 World Cup (Individual), 2000 Nedbank Challenge, 2001 EMC World Cup (with Retief Goosen), Vodacom Players Championship, 2002 Cisco World Match Play Championship, Nedbank Challenge.

Career Summary

1992 PGA European Tour Summary
Events played - 14; in the money - 8; top-10 finishes - 2; scoring average 71.91(T53rd); earnings - ›Eruo93,276 or œ66,626 (75th); best finish, T5th, British Open.

1993 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 17; in money - 13; top-10 finishes - 7; stroke average 71.12 (ranked 14th); money ›Eruo227,958 or œ162,827 (ranked 34th); best finish, T2nd, Peugeot Open de Espana.

1993 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 6; in money - 2; top-10 finishes - 1; money $38,185 (ranked 190th); best finish, T7th, U.S. Open.

1994 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 12; in money - 10; top-10 finishes - 7; stroke average 69.70 (ranked 4th); money ›Eruo436,590 or œ311,850 (ranked 10th); winner Dubai Desert Classic, Toyota World Match Play Championship and Johnnie Walker World Championship.

1994 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 11; in money - 10; top-10 finishes - 4; stroke average 69.77; money $684,440 (ranked 19th); winner U.S. Open.

1995 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 4; in money - 4; top-10 finishes - 2; stroke average 70.38; money ›Eruo115,443 or œ82,459; winner Lexington South African Open.

1995 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 18; in money - 14; top-10 finishes - 6; stroke average 69.81 (ranked T3rd); money $842,590 (ranked 14th); winner, GTE Byron Nelson Classic.

1996 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 7; in money - 7; top-10 finishes - 5; stroke average 69.81; money ›Eruo300,927 or œ214,948; best finish, T2nd, South African PGA and British Open.

1996 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 18; in money - 17; top-10 finishes - 6; stroke average 69.77 (ranked 6th); money $906,944 (ranked 14th); winner, Buick Classic.

1997 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 10; in money - 10; top-10 finishes - 7; stroke average 68.96; money ›Eruo503,189 or œ359,421; winner Johnnie Walker Classic.

1997 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 19; in money - 15; top-10 finishes - 7; stroke average 69.90 (ranked 12th); money $1,243,008 (ranked 9th); winner, U.S. Open and Buick Classic.

1998 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 9; in money - 9; top-10 finishes - 7; stroke average 69.89; money ›Eruo1,607,438 or œ433,884 (ranked 8th); winner, South African Open.

1998 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 15; in money - 12; top-10 finishes - 4; stroke average 69.71 (ranked 8th); money $763,783 (ranked 36th); winner, Bay Hill Invitational.

1999 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 12; in money - 11; top-10 finishes - 5; stroke average 71.05 (ranked 15th); money ›Eruo588,358 or œ420,256 (ranked 12th); winner, Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship.

1999 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 18; in money - 16; top-10 finishes - 7; stroke average 70.09 (ranked 12th); money $1,710,756 (ranked 15th); winner, Nissan Open.

2000 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 11; in money - 11; top-10 finishes - 7; stroke average 69.67 (ranked 2nd); money ›Eruo2,017,248 or œ1,199,707 (ranked 3rd); winner, Standard Life Loch Lomond.

2000 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered: 20 / Rounds Played: 68 / Cuts made: 19 / Top-10 finishes: 10; Best finish: Winner at The International presented by Quest; Earnings: $3,469,405 Rank (3rd)

2000 Stats
Scoring - 69.31 / (3rd); Driving Distance - 278.4 / (38th); Driving Accuracy - 71.4% / (51st); GIR - 66.5% / (83rd); Putting - 1.749 / (24th); Birdie Average - 3.82 per rd / (30th) / Total Birdies - 260; Sand Saves - 61.3% / (22nd); Scrambling - 67.6% / (1st); All-Around Rank - 286 / (5th)

2001 Notes
Lost to Mike Weir in a playoff at the Tour Championship. It was the first year on the PGA Tour that he didn't win since 1994

2001 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 12; in money - 12; top-10 finishes - 5; stroke average 69.90 (ranked 7th); money ›Eru1716,287 or œ1,067,117 (ranked 4th); best finish, 2nd Dunhill Links Championship.

2001 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered: 19 / Rounds Played: 60 / Cuts made: 15 / Top-10 finishes: 9; Best finish: T-2nd at the Tour Championship; Earnings: $2,336,456 Rank (15th)

2001 Stats
Scoring - 70.30 / (27th); Driving Distance - 285.8 / (30th); Driving Accuracy - 64.8% / (153rd); GIR - 66.1% / (97); Putting - 1.790 / (144th); Birdie Average - 3.63 per rd / (91st) / Total Birdies - 218; Sand Saves - 60.6% / (10th); Scrambling - 60.8% / (74th); All-Around Rank - 555 / (41st).

2002 Notes
Only the second time in his career he has been a multiple winner in a year. Was under par in 34 of his 62 rounds

2002 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 16; in money - 16; top-10 finishes - 6; stroke average 70.07 (ranked 2nd); money ›Eru2,251,708 or œ1,435,718 (ranked 3rd); Winner, Heineken Classic, Dubai Desert Classic & British Open.

2002 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered: 18 / Rounds Played: 62 / Cuts made: 17 / Top-10 finishes: 7 / Best finish: Winner at the Genuity Championship & British Open / Earnings: $3,291,895 Rank (5th)

2002 Stats
Scoring - 69.50 / (3rd); Driving Distance - 281.4 / (84th); Driving Accuracy - 64.0% / (162nd); GIR - 64.4% / (134th); Putting - 1.751 / (35th); Birdie Average - 3.84 per rd / (40th) / Total Birdies - 238; Sand Saves - 57.3% / (19th); All-Around Rank - 538 / (34th).