Ernie Els
Encyclopedia
Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els (ˈɛls; born 17 October 1969) is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1
, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature (he stands 1.91 metres [6 feet, 3 inches]) 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 Open Championship
in 2002 at Muirfield.
Other highlights in Els' career include topping the 2003 and 2004 European Tour Order of Merit (money list), and winning the World Match Play Championship
a record seven times. He is the leading career money winner on the European Tour, and was the first member of the tour to earn over 25 million Euros from European Tour events. He has held the number one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings
and holds the record for weeks ranked in the top ten with over 780. Els was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame
in 2010, on his first time on the ballot, and was inducted in May 2011.
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 Championships at age 13. Els learned the game of golf at the Kempton Park Country Club where he started carrying for his father, Neels. He was soon playing better than his father (and his older brother, Dirk), and by the age of 14 he was a scratch handicap. It was around this time that he decided to focus exclusively on golf.
Els first achieved prominence in 1984, when he won the Junior World Golf Championship in the Boys 13–14 category. Phil Mickelson
was second to Els that year. Els won the South African Amateur Championship a few months after his 17th birthday, becoming the youngest-ever winner of that event, breaking the record which had been held by Gary Player
.
Els married his wife Liezl in 1998 in Cape Town
and they have two children, Samantha and Ben. In 2008 after Els started to display an "Autism Speaks
" logo on his golf bag it was announced that their then five year old son was autistic
. Their main residence is at the Wentworth Estate
near Wentworth Golf Club in the south of England. The family also has a home in Jupiter
, Florida in order to get better treatment for Ben's autism.
). He won the Sunshine Tour
Order of Merit in the 1991/92 and 1994/95 seasons. In 1993 Els won his first tournament outside of South Africa at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan. In 1994 Els won his first major championship at the U.S. Open
. Els was tied with Colin Montgomerie
and Loren Roberts
after 72 holes and they went to a 18 hole playoff the next day. In spite of starting the playoff bogey-triple bogey, Els was able to match Loren Roberts score of 74. Els birdied the second hole of sudden death to win his first U.S. Open title.
Els brought his game all around the world in his young career winning the Dubai Desert Classic
on the European Tour, and the Toyota World Match Play Championship defeating once again Colin Montgomerie four-and-two. The following year, Els defended his World Match Play Championship, defeating Steve Elkington three-and-one, won the Byron Nelson
Classic in the United States then headed back home to South Africa and won twice more. In 1996 Els won his third straight World Match Play Championship over Vijay Singh
three-and-one. No player in history had ever managed three successive titles in the one-on-one tournament. Els finished the year with a win at his home tournament at the South African Open.
, making him the first foreign player since Alex Smith
(1906, 1910) to win the U.S. Open twice. He defended his Buick Classic title and added the Johnnie Walker Classic to his list of victories. Els nearly won the World Match Play Championship for a fourth consecutive year, but lost to Vijay Singh in the final. 1998 and 1999 continued to be successful years for Els with 4 wins on both the PGA and European tours.
2000 started in historic fashion for Els being given a special honour by the Board of Directors of the European Tour awarding him with honorary life membership of the European Tour because of his two U.S. Opens and three World Match Play titles. 2000 was the year of runner ups for Els; with three runner up finishes in the Majors (Masters, U.S. Open and The Open Championship) and seven second place finishes in tournaments worldwide. Els had a disappointing 2001 season, failing to win a US PGA tour event for the first time since 1994 although he ended the year with nine second place finishes.
2002 was arguably Els's best year which started with a win at the Heineken Classic at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club
. Then went to America and outplayed World Number one Tiger Woods
to lift the Genuity Championship title. The premier moment of the season was surely his The Open Championship
triumph in very tough conditions at Muirfield. Els overcame a four man playoff to take home the famed Claret Jug for the first time, also quieting his critics about his mental toughness. The South African also took home his fourth World Match Play title, along with his third Nedbank Challenge in the last four years dominating a world class field winning by 8 shots.
. Although playing fewer events than his competitors Els won four times and had three runner ups. He also performed well in the United States with back to back victories at the Mercedes Championship and Sony Open and achieved top 20 spots in all four majors including a fifth place finish at the U.S Open and sixth place finishes at both the Masters and PGA Championship. To top off the season Els won the World Match Play title for a record tying fifth time. In 2003 he was voted 37th on the SABC3's Great South Africans
.
in the Masters
when Mickelson birdied the 18th for the title, finished ninth in the U.S. Open after playing in the final group with friend and fellow countryman Retief Goosen
and surprisingly losing in a playoff in the Open to the unknown Todd Hamilton
. Els had a 14 feet (4.3 m) put for birdie on the final hole of regulation for the championship, but Els missed the putt and lost in the playoff. Els ended the major season with a fourth place finish in the PGA Championship, where a three putt on the 72nd hole would cost him a place in the playoff. In total Els had 16 top 10 finishes, a second European Order of Merit title in succession and a second place finish on the United States money list. 2004 was the start of the "Big Five Era" which is used in describing the era in golf where Tiger Woods
, Vijay Singh
, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen
, and Phil Mickelson
dominated the game of golf. The five switched up and down the top five positions in the World Golf Ranking
; most notably Vijay Singh's derailment of Tiger Woods as the best golfer in the world. The five stayed, for the most part, in the top five spots from 2004 until the start of 2007. Nine majors were won between them, many fighting against each other head to head.
Unlike most of his contemporaries, Els is known for his willingness to participate in tournaments all around the world (he regularly plays in European Tour-sanctioned events in Asia, Australasia, and his native country of South Africa). He says that his globe-trotting schedule is in recognition of the global nature of golf, but it has caused some friction with the U.S. PGA Tour
, an organization that would prefer Els to play more tournaments in the United States. In late 2004, Tim Finchem
, the director of the PGA Tour, wrote quite a firm letter to Els asking him to do so, but Els publicized and rejected this request. The PGA Tour's attitude caused considerable offense in the golfing world outside of North America.
In July 2005, Els injured his left knee while sailing with his family in the Mediterranean. Despite missing several months of the 2005 season due to the injury, Els won the second event on his return, the Dunhill Championship.
When he missed the cut by two strokes at the 2007 Masters Tournament, Els ended tour-leading consecutive cut streaks on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. On the PGA Tour, his streak began at the 2004 The Players Championship
(46 events) and on the European Tour it began at the 2000 Johnnie Walker Classic
(82 events)
Els has often been compared to Greg Norman
in the sense that both men’s careers could be looked back on and think what could have been. Although the two of them are multiple major championship winners they have both shared disappointment in majors. Their disappointments have ranged from nerves, bad luck and simply being outplayed. 1996 was the year where Norman collapsed in the Masters
and Els in the PGA Championship
. Els has finished runner-up in six majors and most notably for his runner-up finishes to Tiger Woods
. Els has finished runner-up to Woods more than any other golfer and has often been described as having the right game to finally be the golfer to beat Woods in a major.
On 2 March 2008, Els won the Honda Classic
contested at PGA National's Championship Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Els shot a final round 67 in tough windy conditions, which was enough to give him the win by one stroke over Luke Donald
. The win marked the end of a three and a half year long stretch without a win on the PGA Tour for Els. The win was his 16th PGA Tour victory of his career.
Els is represented by International Sports Management
. When not playing, he has a golf course design business, a charitable foundation which supports golf among underprivileged youngsters in South Africa, and a highly-regarded wine-making
business. Els has written a popular golf instructional column in Golf Digest
magazine for several years.
On 8 April 2008, Els officially announced that he was switching swing coaches from David Leadbetter
(whom Els had worked with since 1990) to Butch Harmon
who has revamped the golf swings of many established pros (which started with Greg Norman). During Els 2008 Masters press conference Els said the change is in an effort to tighten his swing, shorten his swing, and get a fresh perspective.
On 8 November 2009, Els almost ended his year-long slump by shooting a course-tying record 9-under 63 in the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions to finish at 16-under par 272, a stroke back of Phil Mickelson
who finished with a 17-under 271 total including a final round of 3-under 69.
Els finally did break his winless streak by capturing the WGC-CA Championship
at Doral in 2010, winning by four strokes over fellow countryman Charl Schwartzel
. It was Els' second WGC tournament title. The victory also saw Els overtake Colin Montgomerie
to become the career money leader on the European Tour. Els then won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill two weeks later. It was his 18th PGA Tour victory, and his second in as many starts.
Ernie continued his 2010 success with a T3 at the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links
. He got a 2nd place in 2000 which was also at Pebble Beach.
Els most recently tasted success at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf
in October 2010. After opening the 36 hole event with a round of 68 he fended off the challenge of David Toms
with a final day 69 to win the four man tournament by one stroke, capturing $600,000 in the process. In December 2010, Els won the South African Open beating Retief Goosen
by one shot.
He is also responsible for the refinement and modernisation of the West Course, Wentworth-Virginia Water, England, which took place in 2006.
Courses under construction include:
The first Friendship Cup was played in 2006 which is a match play
competition, played in a Ryder Cup
type format. In the cup, Els's foundation plays against the foundation of Tiger Woods
. Els's foundation won 12.5 points to 3.5 points.
Els has also participated several times in the Gary Player Invitational series of charity golf events, to assist Player raise significant funds for underprivileged children around the world.
, Florida near his South Florida residence during the PGA Tour's March swing into the area. The first event, which featured many PGA Tour and Champions Tour
golfers, raised $725,000 for The Renaissance Learning Center
, a nonprofit charter school
in the area for autistic children. A large majority of the amateurs who paid to play in the 2009 event had a family member or friend with a child on the autistic spectrum. The couple has also established the Els Center of Excellence, which began as a drive to build a new campus for the aforementioned school but has since mushroomed into a $30 million plan to combine the school with a research facility.
—Els on his son Ben who was diagnosed with autism
PGA Tour playoff record (4–3)
Els's victories in the majors and WGC events count as wins on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour.
1 Defeated Montgomerie in 18-hole playoff and Roberts in sudden death: Els (74–4–4), Roberts (74–4–5), Montgomerie (78)
2 Defeated Appleby and Elkington in 4-hole playoff and Levet in sudden death: Els (4-3-5-4-par), Appleby (4–3–5–5), Elkington (5–3–4–5), Levet (4-3-5-4-bogey)
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
1Cancelled due to 9/11
DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
WD = withdrew
NT = No Tournament
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
* As of 23 October 2011
These figures are from the respective tour's official sites. Note that there is double counting of money earned (and wins) in the majors and World Golf Championships since they became official events on both tours.
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature (he stands 1.91 metres [6 feet, 3 inches]) along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing. Among his numerous victories are three major championships
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
: the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
in 1994 at the Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont Country Club is a country club and the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the U. S.", in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates the eastern seven holes from the rest of the course....
and 1997 at the Congressional Country Club
Congressional Country Club
The Congressional Country Club is a country club and golf course in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Congressional opened in 1924 and has hosted three U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship, and is an annual stop on the PGA Tour, with the AT&T National, hosted by Tiger Woods. The tournament was first...
, and The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
in 2002 at Muirfield.
Other highlights in Els' career include topping the 2003 and 2004 European Tour Order of Merit (money list), and winning the World Match Play Championship
HSBC World Match Play Championship
The Volvo World Match Play Championship is the current name of an annual match play men's professional golf tournament. From 2009 the event has been played at the Finca Cortesín Golf Club in Casares near Málaga, Spain, having previously been played at Wentworth Club near London...
a record seven times. He is the leading career money winner on the European Tour, and was the first member of the tour to earn over 25 million Euros from European Tour events. He has held the number one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
and holds the record for weeks ranked in the top ten with over 780. Els was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
in 2010, on his first time on the ballot, and was inducted in May 2011.
Background and family
Growing up just east of JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
in Kempton Park
Kempton Park, Gauteng
Kempton Park is a city on the East Rand in the Gauteng province, South Africa. Formerly an independent municipality in the Transvaal, Kempton Park no longer has its own municipal government, and has been part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since 2000...
, South Africa, he played rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, tennis, and, starting at age 8, golf. He was a skilled junior tennis player and won the Eastern Transvaal Junior Championships at age 13. Els learned the game of golf at the Kempton Park Country Club where he started carrying for his father, Neels. He was soon playing better than his father (and his older brother, Dirk), and by the age of 14 he was a scratch handicap. It was around this time that he decided to focus exclusively on golf.
Els first achieved prominence in 1984, when he won the Junior World Golf Championship in the Boys 13–14 category. Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...
was second to Els that year. Els won the South African Amateur Championship a few months after his 17th birthday, becoming the youngest-ever winner of that event, breaking the record which had been held by Gary Player
Gary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six...
.
Els married his wife Liezl in 1998 in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and they have two children, Samantha and Ben. In 2008 after Els started to display an "Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is the world's largest autism advocacy organization that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governments, and the public. It was founded in February 2005 by Bob Wright, vice chairman of General Electric, and by his wife Suzanne, a...
" logo on his golf bag it was announced that their then five year old son was autistic
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
. Their main residence is at the Wentworth Estate
Wentworth Estate
The Wentworth Estate is a 1920s development village of houses, shops and restaurants on an area of 700 hectares around the world famous Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
near Wentworth Golf Club in the south of England. The family also has a home in Jupiter
Jupiter, Florida
Jupiter is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 39,328. The estimate population for 2009 is 50,606. As of 2006, the population had grown to 50,028, according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research....
, Florida in order to get better treatment for Ben's autism.
1989–1996: Early Years and first major win
In 1989 Els won the South African Amateur Stroke Play Championiship and turned professional the same year. Els won his first professional tournament in 1991 on the Southern Africa Tour (today the Sunshine TourSunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
). He won the Sunshine Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
Order of Merit in the 1991/92 and 1994/95 seasons. In 1993 Els won his first tournament outside of South Africa at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan. In 1994 Els won his first major championship at the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
. Els was tied with Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...
and Loren Roberts
Loren Roberts
Loren Lloyd Roberts is an American professional golfer.-Early life:Roberts was born in San Luis Obispo, California. He competed for San Luis Obispo Senior High School and Cal Poly-SLO...
after 72 holes and they went to a 18 hole playoff the next day. In spite of starting the playoff bogey-triple bogey, Els was able to match Loren Roberts score of 74. Els birdied the second hole of sudden death to win his first U.S. Open title.
Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Classic is an annual professional golf tournament which takes place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It has been part of the European Tour schedule since its inauguration in 1989, and was the first European Tour event to be staged in the Middle East...
on the European Tour, and the Toyota World Match Play Championship defeating once again Colin Montgomerie four-and-two. The following year, Els defended his World Match Play Championship, defeating Steve Elkington three-and-one, won the Byron Nelson
Byron Nelson
John Byron Nelson, Jr. was an American PGA Tour golfer between 1935 and 1946.Nelson and two other well known golfers of the time, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, were born within seven months of each other in 1912...
Classic in the United States then headed back home to South Africa and won twice more. In 1996 Els won his third straight World Match Play Championship over Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008...
three-and-one. No player in history had ever managed three successive titles in the one-on-one tournament. Els finished the year with a win at his home tournament at the South African Open.
1997–2002: Career years and multi-major championships
1997 was a career year for Els first winning his second U.S. Open (once again over Colin Montgomerie) this time at Congressional Country ClubCongressional Country Club
The Congressional Country Club is a country club and golf course in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Congressional opened in 1924 and has hosted three U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship, and is an annual stop on the PGA Tour, with the AT&T National, hosted by Tiger Woods. The tournament was first...
, making him the first foreign player since Alex Smith
Alex Smith (golfer)
Alex Smith was a member of a famous Scottish golfing family. His brother Willie won the U.S. Open in 1899, and Alex won it in both 1906 and 1910. Like many British professionals of his era he spent much of his adult life working as a club professional in the United States.In 1901 Smith lost to...
(1906, 1910) to win the U.S. Open twice. He defended his Buick Classic title and added the Johnnie Walker Classic to his list of victories. Els nearly won the World Match Play Championship for a fourth consecutive year, but lost to Vijay Singh in the final. 1998 and 1999 continued to be successful years for Els with 4 wins on both the PGA and European tours.
2000 started in historic fashion for Els being given a special honour by the Board of Directors of the European Tour awarding him with honorary life membership of the European Tour because of his two U.S. Opens and three World Match Play titles. 2000 was the year of runner ups for Els; with three runner up finishes in the Majors (Masters, U.S. Open and The Open Championship) and seven second place finishes in tournaments worldwide. Els had a disappointing 2001 season, failing to win a US PGA tour event for the first time since 1994 although he ended the year with nine second place finishes.
2002 was arguably Els's best year which started with a win at the Heineken Classic at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club
Royal Melbourne Golf Club
Royal Melbourne Golf Club is a golf club located in Black Rock, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia with two courses. Royal Melbourne has hosted numerous national and international events, including the 1959 Canada Cup , and the 1970 World Cup...
. Then went to America and outplayed World Number one Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
to lift the Genuity Championship title. The premier moment of the season was surely his The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
triumph in very tough conditions at Muirfield. Els overcame a four man playoff to take home the famed Claret Jug for the first time, also quieting his critics about his mental toughness. The South African also took home his fourth World Match Play title, along with his third Nedbank Challenge in the last four years dominating a world class field winning by 8 shots.
2003–2005: The Big Five
2003 gave Els his first European Tour Order of MeritOrder of Merit
The Order of Merit is a British dynastic order recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture...
. Although playing fewer events than his competitors Els won four times and had three runner ups. He also performed well in the United States with back to back victories at the Mercedes Championship and Sony Open and achieved top 20 spots in all four majors including a fifth place finish at the U.S Open and sixth place finishes at both the Masters and PGA Championship. To top off the season Els won the World Match Play title for a record tying fifth time. In 2003 he was voted 37th on the SABC3's Great South Africans
SABC3's Great South Africans
Great South Africans was a South African television series that aired on SABC3 and hosted by Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu and Denis Beckett. In September 2004, thousands of South Africans took part in an informal nationwide poll to determine the "100 Greatest South Africans" of all time...
.
2004: Success among disappointment
2004 was another successful year as Els won 6 times on both tours including big wins at Memorial, WGC-American Express Championship and his sixth World Match Play Championship, a new record. His success did not stop there. Els showed amazing consistency in the Majors but lost to Phil MickelsonPhil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...
in the Masters
The Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year...
when Mickelson birdied the 18th for the title, finished ninth in the U.S. Open after playing in the final group with friend and fellow countryman Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S...
and surprisingly losing in a playoff in the Open to the unknown Todd Hamilton
Todd Hamilton
William Todd Hamilton is an American professional golfer.Hamilton was born in the small west-central Illinois city of Galesburg. He grew up in an even smaller Henderson County town on the Mississippi called Oquawka. He attended Union High School in Biggsville, Illinois and played golf regularly on...
. Els had a 14 feet (4.3 m) put for birdie on the final hole of regulation for the championship, but Els missed the putt and lost in the playoff. Els ended the major season with a fourth place finish in the PGA Championship, where a three putt on the 72nd hole would cost him a place in the playoff. In total Els had 16 top 10 finishes, a second European Order of Merit title in succession and a second place finish on the United States money list. 2004 was the start of the "Big Five Era" which is used in describing the era in golf where Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
, Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008...
, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S...
, and Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...
dominated the game of golf. The five switched up and down the top five positions in the World Golf Ranking
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
; most notably Vijay Singh's derailment of Tiger Woods as the best golfer in the world. The five stayed, for the most part, in the top five spots from 2004 until the start of 2007. Nine majors were won between them, many fighting against each other head to head.
Unlike most of his contemporaries, Els is known for his willingness to participate in tournaments all around the world (he regularly plays in European Tour-sanctioned events in Asia, Australasia, and his native country of South Africa). He says that his globe-trotting schedule is in recognition of the global nature of golf, but it has caused some friction with the U.S. PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, an organization that would prefer Els to play more tournaments in the United States. In late 2004, Tim Finchem
Tim Finchem
Timothy W. Finchem is the current Commissioner of golf's PGA Tour.Finchem was born in Ottawa, Illinois. He took the position on June 1, 1994 succeeding Deane Beman, who retired after nearly 20 years in the post...
, the director of the PGA Tour, wrote quite a firm letter to Els asking him to do so, but Els publicized and rejected this request. The PGA Tour's attitude caused considerable offense in the golfing world outside of North America.
In July 2005, Els injured his left knee while sailing with his family in the Mediterranean. Despite missing several months of the 2005 season due to the injury, Els won the second event on his return, the Dunhill Championship.
2006–present: Gradual recovery
At the start of the 2007 season Ernie Els laid out a three-year battle plan to challenge Tiger Woods as world number one. "I see 2007 as the start of a three-year plan where I totally re-dedicate myself to the game," Els told his official website.When he missed the cut by two strokes at the 2007 Masters Tournament, Els ended tour-leading consecutive cut streaks on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. On the PGA Tour, his streak began at the 2004 The Players Championship
The Players Championship
The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary...
(46 events) and on the European Tour it began at the 2000 Johnnie Walker Classic
Johnnie Walker Classic
The Johnnie Walker Classic was a European Tour golf tournament which is played in the Asia Pacific region. Johnnie Walker is a brand name and the owners have a long history of tournament sponsorship. They also sponsor the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles which is a European Tour event...
(82 events)
Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
in the sense that both men’s careers could be looked back on and think what could have been. Although the two of them are multiple major championship winners they have both shared disappointment in majors. Their disappointments have ranged from nerves, bad luck and simply being outplayed. 1996 was the year where Norman collapsed in the Masters
The Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year...
and Els in the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
. Els has finished runner-up in six majors and most notably for his runner-up finishes to Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
. Els has finished runner-up to Woods more than any other golfer and has often been described as having the right game to finally be the golfer to beat Woods in a major.
On 2 March 2008, Els won the Honda Classic
Honda Classic
The Honda Classic is a PGA Tour golf tournament that is played each March in Florida. It was founded in 1972 as the Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic. In 1981, American Motors backed the tournament. Since 1982, American Honda Motor Co., Inc...
contested at PGA National's Championship Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Els shot a final round 67 in tough windy conditions, which was enough to give him the win by one stroke over Luke Donald
Luke Donald
Luke Campbell Donald is an English professional golfer who is the current World Number One. He plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour. In 2006 he reached the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. In January 2007, he...
. The win marked the end of a three and a half year long stretch without a win on the PGA Tour for Els. The win was his 16th PGA Tour victory of his career.
Els is represented by International Sports Management
International Sports Management
International Sports Management Limited is a sports management agency based in Cheshire, England that represents leading figures from the sports of golf and cricket. It was founded in 1989 by former European Tour golfer Andrew "Chubby" Chandler...
. When not playing, he has a golf course design business, a charitable foundation which supports golf among underprivileged youngsters in South Africa, and a highly-regarded wine-making
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
business. Els has written a popular golf instructional column in Golf Digest
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
magazine for several years.
On 8 April 2008, Els officially announced that he was switching swing coaches from David Leadbetter
David Leadbetter (golf instructor)
David Leadbetter is a leading golf instructor, originally from Worthing in England. He began his career on the European and Southern African tours, but had little success as a player...
(whom Els had worked with since 1990) to Butch Harmon
Butch Harmon
Claude "Butch" Harmon, Jr. is an American golf instructor and former professional player. He is the son of 1948 Masters Tournament champion Claude Harmon, Sr. and has been in the golf industry since 1965.-Early life:...
who has revamped the golf swings of many established pros (which started with Greg Norman). During Els 2008 Masters press conference Els said the change is in an effort to tighten his swing, shorten his swing, and get a fresh perspective.
On 8 November 2009, Els almost ended his year-long slump by shooting a course-tying record 9-under 63 in the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions to finish at 16-under par 272, a stroke back of Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...
who finished with a 17-under 271 total including a final round of 3-under 69.
Els finally did break his winless streak by capturing the WGC-CA Championship
WGC-CA Championship
The WGC-Cadillac Championship is one of the four annual World Golf Championships tournaments for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
at Doral in 2010, winning by four strokes over fellow countryman Charl Schwartzel
Charl Schwartzel
Charl Adriaan Schwartzel is a South African professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and the Sunshine Tour. He won the 2011 Masters Tournament. Schwartzel's highest world ranking has been number seven, in May 2011....
. It was Els' second WGC tournament title. The victory also saw Els overtake Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...
to become the career money leader on the European Tour. Els then won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill two weeks later. It was his 18th PGA Tour victory, and his second in as many starts.
Ernie continued his 2010 success with a T3 at the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach Golf Links is a golf course located in Pebble Beach, California, on the west coast of the United States.Pebble Beach is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of Carmel Bay, opening to the Pacific Ocean,...
. He got a 2nd place in 2000 which was also at Pebble Beach.
Els most recently tasted success at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf
PGA Grand Slam of Golf
The PGA Grand Slam of Golf is an annual off-season golf tournament contested by the year's winners of the four major championships of regular men's golf, which are the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship , and the PGA Championship...
in October 2010. After opening the 36 hole event with a round of 68 he fended off the challenge of David Toms
David Toms
David Wayne Toms is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won a total of thirteen events on the PGA Tour including the 2001 PGA Championship...
with a final day 69 to win the four man tournament by one stroke, capturing $600,000 in the process. In December 2010, Els won the South African Open beating Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S...
by one shot.
Els-designed golf courses
- Anahita Golf Course – Beau Champ, Mauritius
- Mission Hills Golf ClubMission Hills Golf ClubMission Hills Shenzhen is a twelve course 18-hole course golf resort, located in the town of Guanlan in Shenzhen, between the cities of Shenzhen and Dongguan. It is accredited as the world's largest golf facility by the Guinness World Records in 2004, surpassing the Pinehurst Resort in the United...
(The Savannah Course) – Shenzhen, China - Whiskey Creek – Ijamsville, Maryland, USA
- Oubaai – Garden Route, South Africa
He is also responsible for the refinement and modernisation of the West Course, Wentworth-Virginia Water, England, which took place in 2006.
Courses under construction include:
- Hoakalei Country Club at Hoakalei ResortHoakalei ResortHaseko is developing the Hoakalei Resort on in West O'ahu, Hawai'i. The fully entitled project being built on former sugar cane lands in 'Ewa Beach is expected to be completed by 2020...
– Honolulu, Hawaii - The Els Club – DubaiDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, UAE - Gardener Ross Golf and Country Estate – Gauteng, South Africa
- Albany – New Providence, The Bahamas
- Durrat Al Bahrain Golf Course – Durrat Al Bahrain, Bahrain
Foundation
The Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation was established in 1999. It has the objective of identifying youths which show talent and potential in the game of golf from under-privileged backgrounds. It provides educational assistance amongst other moral and financial help in order for these youths to reach their full potential.The first Friendship Cup was played in 2006 which is a match play
Match play
Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; this is as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes...
competition, played in a Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
type format. In the cup, Els's foundation plays against the foundation of Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
. Els's foundation won 12.5 points to 3.5 points.
Els has also participated several times in the Gary Player Invitational series of charity golf events, to assist Player raise significant funds for underprivileged children around the world.
Autism-related activities
Since his son's autism diagnosis, he and his wife have been active in charities devoted to that condition. This involvement has increased as Ben has reached school age. In 2009, Els launched an annual charity golf event, the Els for Autism Pro-Am, held at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach GardensPalm Beach Gardens, Florida
Palm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County in the U.S. state of Florida. The city is in the center of a rapidly-developing area north of West Palm Beach in the northern part of the county and the South Florida metropolitan area. , the population was 48,452...
, Florida near his South Florida residence during the PGA Tour's March swing into the area. The first event, which featured many PGA Tour and Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
golfers, raised $725,000 for The Renaissance Learning Center
Renaissance Learning Center
The Renaissance Learning Center is a school for students with autism age 3 to 14. The Renaissance Learning Center is found in West Palm Beach, Florida....
, a nonprofit charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
in the area for autistic children. A large majority of the amateurs who paid to play in the 2009 event had a family member or friend with a child on the autistic spectrum. The couple has also established the Els Center of Excellence, which began as a drive to build a new campus for the aforementioned school but has since mushroomed into a $30 million plan to combine the school with a research facility.
Quotes
—Els to Golf DigestGolf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
—Els on his son Ben who was diagnosed with autism
Amateur wins (4)
- 1984 World Junior Golf Championships (Boys 13–14 division)
- 1986 South African Boys Championship, South African Amateur Championship
- 1989 South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship
PGA Tour wins (18)
EWLINE
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| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 Jun 1994 1994 PGA Tour The 1994 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to October 30. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Nick Price won the most tournaments, six, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
Playoff |  Colin MontgomerieColin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... ,  Loren RobertsLoren Roberts Loren Lloyd Roberts is an American professional golfer.-Early life:Roberts was born in San Luis Obispo, California. He competed for San Luis Obispo Senior High School and Cal Poly-SLO... |
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| 2 | 14 May 1995 1995 PGA Tour The 1995 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 29. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Lee Janzen and Greg Norman won the most tournaments, three, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament... |
GTE Byron Nelson Classic | 3 strokes | Robin Freeman Robin Freeman (golfer) Robin Freeman is an American professional golfer. He has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Champions Tour.Freeman was born in St. Charles, Missouri. He attended the University of Central Oklahoma and turned professional in 1983.... , Mike HeinenMike Heinen William Michael Heinen, Jr. is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.... , D. A. WeibringD. A. Weibring Donald Albert "D.A." Weibring, Jr. is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including several on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.... |
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| 3 | 9 Jun 1996 1996 PGA Tour The 1996 PGA Tour season was played from January 4 to October 28. The season consisted of 44 official money events . Phil Mickelson won the most tournaments, four, and there were 13 first-time winners. The season notably featured the first Tour win for Tiger Woods... |
Buick Classic | 8 strokes |  Steve ElkingtonSteve Elkington Stephen John Elkington is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He spent over 50 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings from 1995 to 1998.-Early years and education:... , Tom LehmanTom Lehman Thomas Edward Lehman is an American professional golfer.Lehman was born in Austin, Minnesota, but Alexandria, Minnesota is credited as his official Minnesota hometown. He attended the University of Minnesota, graduating with a degree in Business/Accounting and turned professional in 1982. It took... , Jeff MaggertJeff Maggert Jeffrey Allan Maggert is an American professional golfer.Maggert was born in Columbia, Missouri and was raised on a golf course in The Woodlands, Texas, where he attended McCullough High School. He attended Texas A&M University, where he was an All-American member of the golf team.Maggert turned... , Craig ParryCraig Parry Craig David Parry is an Australian professional golfer. He has been one of Australia's premier golfers since turning professional in 1985, and has 23 career victories, two of those wins being events on the PGA Tour; the 2002 WGC-NEC Invitational and the 2004 Ford Championship at Doral.Parry was... |
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| 4 | 15 Jun 1997 1997 PGA Tour The 1997 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 2. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, four, and there were six first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
1 stroke | Colin Montgomerie |
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| 5 | 22 Jun 1997 | Buick Classic | 2 strokes | Jeff Maggert |
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| 6 | 22 Mar 1998 1998 PGA Tour The 1998 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to November 1. The season consisted of 45 official money events. David Duval won the most tournaments, four, and there were eight first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Bay Hill Invitational Bay Hill Invitational The Arnold Palmer Invitational is a PGA Tour golf tournament. It is played each March at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, a private golf resort in Bay Hill, Florida a suburb of Orlando which has been owned by Arnold Palmer since 1974 and where he has his winter home... |
4 strokes | Bob Estes Bob Estes Bob Alan Estes is an American professional golfer.Estes was born in Graham, Texas and reared in Abilene, Texas. He first played golf at age 4 and decided to become a professional golfer at age 12. Estes attended the University of Texas from 1984–1988, and was a member of the golf team... , Jeff Maggert |
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| 7 | 21 Feb 1999 1999 PGA Tour The 1999 PGA Tour season was played from January 7 to November 7. The season consisted of 47 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, eight, and there were nine first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Nissan Open Nissan Open The Northern Trust Open, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, first played in 1926. Formerly known as the Nissan Open and originally known as the Los Angeles Open, it is played annually in February in Pacific Palisades, California. The tournament has been contested at the Riviera... |
2 strokes | Davis Love III Davis Love III Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA... , Ted TrybaTed Tryba Ted Tryba is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Tryba was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He played at Ohio State University.... , Tiger WoodsTiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
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| 8 | 6 Aug 2000 2000 PGA Tour The 2000 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to November 12. The season consisted of 49 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, nine, and there were nine first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
The International The International (golf) The International was a professional golf tournament played from 1986 to 2006 at the Castle Pines Golf Club at Castle Pines Village in Castle Rock, Colorado. It had the distinction of being one of two PGA Tour events not conducted at traditional stroke play, the only other exception is the match... |
4 points | Phil Mickelson Phil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed... |
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| 9 | 3 Mar 2002 2002 PGA Tour The 2002 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 4. The season consisted of 49 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, five, and there were 18 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
Genuity Championship | 2 strokes | Tiger Woods |
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| 10 | 21 Jul 2002 | The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
Playoff | Stuart Appleby Stuart Appleby Stuart Appleby is an Australian professional golfer.-Early life:Appleby was born in Cohuna in rural northern Victoria, and grew up on a nearby dairy farm. He began in golf by hitting balls from paddock to paddock after his farm chores were completed... , Steve Elkington, Thomas LevetThomas Levet Thomas Levet is a French professional golfer who is a member of the European Tour and former member of the PGA Tour.Levet was born in Paris, France... |
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| 11 | 12 Jan 2003 2003 PGA Tour The 2003 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 9. The season consisted of 48 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, five, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Mercedes Championships | 8 strokes |  K. J. ChoiChoi Kyung-Ju Choi Kyung-Ju , also known as K. J. Choi. is a South Korean professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour. Since turning pro in 1994, he has won a total of eighteen professional golf tournaments worldwide, including eight on the PGA Tour, making him Asia's most successful golfer. His... , Rocco MediateRocco Mediate Rocco Anthony Mediate is an American professional golfer with multiple PGA Tour wins.-Early years:Mediate was born in the Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. According to the Golf Channel, he is the son of a barber and has Italian ancestral heritage. Mediate attended Florida Southern... |
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| 12 | 19 Jan 2003 | Sony Open in Hawaii Sony Open in Hawaii The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii since the event's modern-day inception as the Hawaiian Open in 1965. Starting in 1971, the tournament was held... |
Playoff | Aaron Baddeley Aaron Baddeley Aaron John Baddeley is an American-Australian professional golfer. He was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA and now plays on the U.S.-based PGA Tour, has joint U.S. and Australian citizenship and was raised in Australia from the age of two... |
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| 13 | 18 Jan 2004 2004 PGA Tour The 2004 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to November 7. The season consisted of 48 official money events. Vijay Singh won the most tournaments, nine, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
Sony Open in Hawaii Sony Open in Hawaii The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii since the event's modern-day inception as the Hawaiian Open in 1965. Starting in 1971, the tournament was held... |
Playoff | Harrison Frazar Harrison Frazar Harrison Frazar is an American professional golfer who has played on the Nationwide Tour and the PGA Tour.Frazar was born in Dallas, Texas and was raised there and in Abilene, Texas. He attended Highland Park High School, where he won two state golf championships and was a three-time all-Texas... |
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| 14 | 6 Jun 2004 | Memorial Tournament Memorial Tournament The Memorial Tournament is a PGA Tour golf tournament founded by Jack Nicklaus. It is played on a Nicklaus-designed course at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Nicklaus' home town of Columbus. The golf course passes through a large neighborhood called Muirfield Village... |
4 strokes | Fred Couples Fred Couples Frederick Steven Couples is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. A former World No. 1, he has won numerous events, most notably the 1992 Masters Tournament. In August 2011 he won his maiden senior major at the Senior Players Championship... |
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| 15 | 3 Oct 2004 | American Express Championship | 1 stroke |  Thomas BjørnThomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won thirteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1999 he also became the first Dane to qualify for a European Ryder Cup team... |
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| 16 | 2 Mar 2008 2008 PGA Tour The 2008 PGA Tour season ran from January 3 to November 9. The season consisted of 49 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour. There were also five unofficial events played in November and... |
Honda Classic Honda Classic The Honda Classic is a PGA Tour golf tournament that is played each March in Florida. It was founded in 1972 as the Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic. In 1981, American Motors backed the tournament. Since 1982, American Honda Motor Co., Inc... |
1 stroke |  Luke DonaldLuke Donald Luke Campbell Donald is an English professional golfer who is the current World Number One. He plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour. In 2006 he reached the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. In January 2007, he... |
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| 17 | 14 Mar 2010 2010 PGA Tour The 2010 PGA Tour season ran from January 7 to November 14. The season consisted of 46 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour.-Schedule:... |
WGC-CA Championship WGC-CA Championship The WGC-Cadillac Championship is one of the four annual World Golf Championships tournaments for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
4 strokes |  Charl SchwartzelCharl Schwartzel Charl Adriaan Schwartzel is a South African professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and the Sunshine Tour. He won the 2011 Masters Tournament. Schwartzel's highest world ranking has been number seven, in May 2011.... |
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| 18 | 29 Mar 2010 | Arnold Palmer Invitational | 2 strokes |  Edoardo MolinariEdoardo Molinari Edoardo Molinari is an Italian professional golfer. He is a two-time winner on the European Tour, 2005 U.S. Amateur champion, 2009 Challenge Tour Rankings leader, winner, with his brother Francesco, of the 2009 World Cup and a member of the 2010 European Ryder Cup team... , Kevin NaKevin Na Kevin Sangwook Na is a Korean American professional golfer currently playing on the PGA Tour.-Personal life:Na was born in Seoul, South Korea. His family immigrated to the United States when he was eight years old. He turned professional at age 17 in 2001. He later naturalized as an American citizen... |
PGA Tour playoff record (4–3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994 1994 PGA Tour The 1994 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to October 30. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Nick Price won the most tournaments, six, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... , Loren RobertsLoren Roberts Loren Lloyd Roberts is an American professional golfer.-Early life:Roberts was born in San Luis Obispo, California. He competed for San Luis Obispo Senior High School and Cal Poly-SLO... |
Won with birdie on second extra hole after 18-hole playoff (Els:74, Roberts:74, Montgomerie:78) |
| 2 | 2000 2000 PGA Tour The 2000 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to November 12. The season consisted of 49 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, nine, and there were nine first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Mercedes Championships | Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2001 2001 PGA Tour The 2001 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 4. The season consisted of 47 official money events and two events were cancelled due to the terrorist attacks on September 11. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, five, and there were 10 first-time winners... |
The Tour Championship The Tour Championship The Tour Championship was historically the final event of golf's PGA Tour season. Since 2007, it has been the final event of the FedEx Cup, the competition for the first official championship trophy for the PGA Tour season. From 1987 to 1996, several courses hosted the event... |
 Sergio GarcíaSergio García Sergio García Fernández is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on both the United States PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings... , David TomsDavid Toms David Wayne Toms is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won a total of thirteen events on the PGA Tour including the 2001 PGA Championship... ,  Mike WeirMike Weir Michael Richard Weir, CM, O.Ont is a Canadian professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He spent over 110 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 2001 and 2005. He is best known for winning the Masters in 2003.... |
Weir won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 4 | 2002 2002 PGA Tour The 2002 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 4. The season consisted of 49 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, five, and there were 18 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
Stuart Appleby Stuart Appleby Stuart Appleby is an Australian professional golfer.-Early life:Appleby was born in Cohuna in rural northern Victoria, and grew up on a nearby dairy farm. He began in golf by hitting balls from paddock to paddock after his farm chores were completed... , Steve ElkingtonSteve Elkington Stephen John Elkington is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He spent over 50 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings from 1995 to 1998.-Early years and education:... , Thomas LevetThomas Levet Thomas Levet is a French professional golfer who is a member of the European Tour and former member of the PGA Tour.Levet was born in Paris, France... |
Els won with par on first extra hole after four-hole playoff Els (4-3-5-4), Levet (4-3-5-4), Appleby (4-3-5-5), Elkington (5-3-4-5) |
| 5 | 2003 2003 PGA Tour The 2003 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 9. The season consisted of 48 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, five, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Sony Open in Hawaii Sony Open in Hawaii The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii since the event's modern-day inception as the Hawaiian Open in 1965. Starting in 1971, the tournament was held... |
Aaron Baddeley Aaron Baddeley Aaron John Baddeley is an American-Australian professional golfer. He was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA and now plays on the U.S.-based PGA Tour, has joint U.S. and Australian citizenship and was raised in Australia from the age of two... |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 6 | 2004 2004 PGA Tour The 2004 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to November 7. The season consisted of 48 official money events. Vijay Singh won the most tournaments, nine, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
Sony Open in Hawaii Sony Open in Hawaii The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii since the event's modern-day inception as the Hawaiian Open in 1965. Starting in 1971, the tournament was held... |
Harrison Frazar Harrison Frazar Harrison Frazar is an American professional golfer who has played on the Nationwide Tour and the PGA Tour.Frazar was born in Dallas, Texas and was raised there and in Abilene, Texas. He attended Highland Park High School, where he won two state golf championships and was a three-time all-Texas... |
Won with birdie on third extra hole |
| 7 | 2004 | The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
Todd Hamilton Todd Hamilton William Todd Hamilton is an American professional golfer.Hamilton was born in the small west-central Illinois city of Galesburg. He grew up in an even smaller Henderson County town on the Mississippi called Oquawka. He attended Union High School in Biggsville, Illinois and played golf regularly on... |
Lost four-hole playoff:Hamilton (4-4-3-4), Els (4-4-4-4) |
European Tour wins (26)
EWLINE
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| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Jan 1994 1994 European Tour The 1994 European Tour was the 23rd official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.-Schedule:... |
Dubai Desert Classic Dubai Desert Classic The Dubai Desert Classic is an annual professional golf tournament which takes place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It has been part of the European Tour schedule since its inauguration in 1989, and was the first European Tour event to be staged in the Middle East... |
6 strokes | Greg Norman Greg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
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| 2 | 20 Jun 1994 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
Playoff | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... , Loren RobertsLoren Roberts Loren Lloyd Roberts is an American professional golfer.-Early life:Roberts was born in San Luis Obispo, California. He competed for San Luis Obispo Senior High School and Cal Poly-SLO... |
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| 3 | 19 Feb 1995 1995 European Tour The 1995 European Tour was the 24th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.-Schedule:... |
Lexington South African PGA Championship(co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour) | 2 strokes | Roger Wessels Roger Wessels Roger Mark Wessels is a South African professional golfer.Wessels was born in Port Elizabeth. He turned professional at a relatively late age in 1987, without having had any major successes as an amateur. Despite that, he won several times on the Southern Africa Tour, latterly the Sunshine Tour,... |
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| 4 | 26 Jan 1997 1997 European Tour The 1997 European Tour was the 26th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.-Schedule:... |
Johnnie Walker Classic Johnnie Walker Classic The Johnnie Walker Classic was a European Tour golf tournament which is played in the Asia Pacific region. Johnnie Walker is a brand name and the owners have a long history of tournament sponsorship. They also sponsor the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles which is a European Tour event... |
1 stroke | Peter Lonard Peter Lonard Peter Lawrence Lonard is an Australian professional golfer who plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour. He credits fellow Australian Greg Norman as his inspiration.... ,  Michael LongMichael Long (golfer) Michael Long is a New Zealand professional golfer.Long was born in Cromwell, New Zealand. He turned professional at the age of 21 and joined the PGA Tour of Australasia. In 1996 he won the New Zealand Open... |
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| 5 | 15 Jun 1997 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
1 stroke | Colin Montgomerie |
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| 6 | 8 Feb 1998 1998 European Tour The 1998 European Tour was the 27th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.-Schedule:... |
South African Open(co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour) | 3 strokes | David Frost David Frost (golfer) David Laurence Frost is a South African professional golfer who has more than twenty professional tournament wins to his name, spread across four continents.... |
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| 7 | 24 Jan 1999 1999 European Tour The 1999 European Tour was the 28th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.-Schedule:... |
Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship(co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour) | 4 strokes | Richard Kaplan Richard Kaplan Richard Dennis Kaplan is a South African professional golfer who currently plays on the Sunshine Tour.Kaplan was born in Johannesburg and currently lives in Sandton, Johannesburg with his wife and two children... |
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| 8 | 15 Jul 2000 2000 European Tour The 2000 European Tour was the 29th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by England's Lee Westwood who won six times during the season to end Colin Montgomerie's seven year reign as Europe's number one.... |
Standard Life Loch Lomond | 1 stroke | Tom Lehman Tom Lehman Thomas Edward Lehman is an American professional golfer.Lehman was born in Austin, Minnesota, but Alexandria, Minnesota is credited as his official Minnesota hometown. He attended the University of Minnesota, graduating with a degree in Business/Accounting and turned professional in 1982. It took... |
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| 9 | 3 Feb 2002 2002 European Tour The 2002 European Tour was the 31st season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2002 season consisted of 45 official money events, which included the four major championships and three World Golf Championships which were also sanctioned by the PGA Tour... |
Heineken Classic Heineken Classic The Heineken Classic was a men's professional golf tournament played in Australia from 1993 to 2005 as part of the PGA Tour of Australasia. It was held at the Vines Resort in Western Australia from 1993 to 2001 and moved to the Royal Melbourne Golf Club from 2002 to 2005. From 1996 onwards it was... |
5 strokes | Peter Fowler Peter Fowler Peter Randall Fowler is an Australian golfer.Fowler was born in Hornsby, New South Wales. He turned professional in 1977 and won the Australian Open in 1983. He has spent a large part of his career playing on the European Tour, where he made the top one hundred on the Order of Merit every year... , David HowellDavid Howell (golfer) David Alexander Howell is an English professional golfer from Swindon. His career to date peaked in 2006, when he was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for a short time.... , Peter O'MalleyPeter O'Malley (golfer) Peter O'Malley is an Australian professional golfer.O'Malley was born in Bathurst, New South Wales. He won the Australian Junior Championship and the New Zealand Amateur Championship in 1986, and turned professional the following year. He has won several times on the PGA Tour of Australasia, but... |
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| 10 | 2002 | Dubai Desert Classic Dubai Desert Classic The Dubai Desert Classic is an annual professional golf tournament which takes place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It has been part of the European Tour schedule since its inauguration in 1989, and was the first European Tour event to be staged in the Middle East... |
4 strokes |  Niclas FasthNiclas Fasth Niclas Fasth is a Swedish professional golfer.Fasth was born in Gothenburg. He turned professional in 1993 and won three events on the second tier European Challenge Tour that year. Since 1994 he has been a member of the European Tour for every season except for 1999. He qualified for the U.S... |
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| 11 | 21 Jul 2002 | The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
Playoff | Stuart Appleby Stuart Appleby Stuart Appleby is an Australian professional golfer.-Early life:Appleby was born in Cohuna in rural northern Victoria, and grew up on a nearby dairy farm. He began in golf by hitting balls from paddock to paddock after his farm chores were completed... , Steve ElkingtonSteve Elkington Stephen John Elkington is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He spent over 50 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings from 1995 to 1998.-Early years and education:... , Thomas LevetThomas Levet Thomas Levet is a French professional golfer who is a member of the European Tour and former member of the PGA Tour.Levet was born in Paris, France... |
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| 12 | 2 Feb 2003 2003 European Tour The 2003 European Tour was the 32nd season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2003 season consisted of 46 official money events, which included the four major championships and three World Golf Championships which were also sanctioned by the PGA Tour... |
Heineken Classic | 1 stroke | Nick Faldo Nick Faldo Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No... , Peter Lonard |
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| 13 | 16 Feb 2003 | Johnnie Walker Classic Johnnie Walker Classic The Johnnie Walker Classic was a European Tour golf tournament which is played in the Asia Pacific region. Johnnie Walker is a brand name and the owners have a long history of tournament sponsorship. They also sponsor the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles which is a European Tour event... |
10 strokes | Stephen Leaney Stephen Leaney Stephen John Leaney is an Australian professional golfer.Leaney was born in Busselton, Western Australia. He turned professional in 1992 and won several tournaments in his home country in the 1990s, despite having two ribs cut removed in December 1993 after doctors diagnosed a blood clot in his... , Andre StolzAndre Stolz Andre Pierre Stolz is an Australian professional golfer.Stolz was born in Brisbane, Australia. He turned professional in 1992... |
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| 14 | 13 Jul 2003 | Barclays Scottish Open | 5 strokes |  Darren ClarkeDarren Clarke Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the... ,  Phillip PricePhillip Price John Phillip Price is a Welsh professional golfer who plays on the European Tour.-Professional golfer:Price turned professional in 1989 and qualified for membership of the European Tour for the 1991 season via the 1990 Qualifying School. His best year on the tour came in 2000, when he finished... |
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| 15 | 7 Sep 2003 | Omega European Masters Omega European Masters The Omega European Masters is the Swiss stop on professional men's golf's European Tour, and in 2009 will become the first event in Europe to be co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour.... |
6 strokes | Michael Campbell Michael Campbell Michael Shane Campbell, CNZM is a New Zealand golfer who is best known for having won the 2005 U.S. Open and the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Play Championship, in the same year. He is a member of the European Tour.Ethnically, he is predominantly Māori, from the Ngati... |
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| 16 | 8 Feb 2004 2004 European Tour The 2004 European Tour was the 33rd golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2004 season consisted of 45 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which were also sanctioned by the PGA Tour... |
Heineken Classic | 1 stroke | Adam Scott |
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| 17 | 3 Oct 2004 | WGC-American Express Championship | 1 stroke | Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won thirteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1999 he also became the first Dane to qualify for a European Ryder Cup team... |
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| 18 | 17 Oct 2004 | HSBC World Match Play Championship HSBC World Match Play Championship The Volvo World Match Play Championship is the current name of an annual match play men's professional golf tournament. From 2009 the event has been played at the Finca Cortesín Golf Club in Casares near Málaga, Spain, having previously been played at Wentworth Club near London... |
2&1 | Lee Westwood Lee Westwood Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons... |
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| 19 | 6 Mar 2005 2005 European Tour The 2005 European Tour was the 34th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2005 season consisted of 47 official money events, which was a new record total. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which were also sanctioned by the PGA Tour... |
Dubai Desert Classic | 1 stroke | Stephen Dodd Stephen Dodd Stephen Dodd is a Welsh professional golfer who after a relatively moderate career, unexpectedly won two events on the European Tour in the 2005 season at the age of 38.Dodd was born in Cardiff... , Miguel Ángel JiménezMiguel Angel Jiménez Miguel Ángel Jiménez Rodríguez is a Spanish professional golfer. He has won 18 times on the European Tour.-Early years:... |
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| 20 | 13 Mar 2005 | Qatar Masters Qatar Masters The Commercialbank Qatar Masters is a golf tournament held at the Doha Golf Club in Doha, Qatar. The tournament was established in 1998, and is one of four European Tour golf tournaments which are staged in the countries of the Persian Gulf, the others being the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, the... |
1 stroke | Henrik Stenson Henrik Stenson Henrik Stenson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays both on the US and European tours. He has spent over 100 weeks ranked in the World top ten and his career high ranking of fourth is the best by any Swedish golfer.-Career:... |
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| 21 | 1 May 2005 | BMW Asian Open BMW Asian Open The BMW Asian Open was a men's professional golf tournament that was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour. The event was founded in 2001, as part of the European Tour's drive to expand into Asia, and China in particular.... |
13 strokes | Simon Wakefield Simon Wakefield Simon Wakefield is an English professional golfer.Wakefield was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and is the nephew of former England cricketer Bob Taylor... |
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| 22 | 11 Dec 2005 2006 European Tour The 2006 European Tour was the 35th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2006 season consisted of 47 official money events, equalling the record set the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the... (2006 season) |
Dunhill Championship(co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour) | 3 strokes | Louis Oosthuizen Louis Oosthuizen Lodewicus Theodorus "Louis" Oosthuizen is a South African professional golfer, who won the 2010 Open Championship.-Early life and career:... , Charl SchwartzelCharl Schwartzel Charl Adriaan Schwartzel is a South African professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and the Sunshine Tour. He won the 2011 Masters Tournament. Schwartzel's highest world ranking has been number seven, in May 2011.... |
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| 23 | 17 Dec 2006 2007 European Tour The 2007 European Tour was the 36th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2007 season consisted of 52 official money events, breaking the record of the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the... (2007 season) |
South African Airways Open(co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour) | 3 strokes | Trevor Immelman Trevor Immelman Trevor John Immelman is a South African professional golfer and winner of the 2008 Masters Tournament.-Early years:Immelman was born in Cape Town, South Africa. Born into a golfing family , he took up golf at the age of five. He attended Hottentots Holland High School... |
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| 24 | 14 Oct 2007 | HSBC World Match Play Championship | 6&4 |  Ángel CabreraAngel Cabrera Ángel Cabrera is an Argentine professional golfer who plays on both the European Tour and PGA Tour. He is known affectionately as "El Pato" in Spanish or in English as "The duck" for his waddling gait. He is a former U.S. Open champion and Masters champion. He is the first Argentine to win either... |
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| 25 | 14 Mar 2010 2010 European Tour The 2010 European Tour is the second edition of the Race to Dubai and the 39th season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972.... |
WGC-CA Championship WGC-CA Championship The WGC-Cadillac Championship is one of the four annual World Golf Championships tournaments for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
4 strokes | Charl Schwartzel |
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| 26 | 19 Dec 2010 2011 European Tour The 2011 European Tour will be the third edition of the Race to Dubai and the 40th season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972.-Schedule:... (2011 season) |
South African Open(co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour) | 1 stroke | Retief Goosen Retief Goosen Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S... |
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Els's victories in the majors and WGC events count as wins on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour.
Sunshine Tour wins (16)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 Jun 1991 | Amatola Sun Classic | Peter van der Riet |
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| 2 | 19 Jan 1992 | Protea Assurance South African Open | 3 strokes | Derek James Derek James Derek James is a South African professional golfer currently playing on the Sunshine Tour.James was born in Durban and currently lives in Southbroom with his wife and two children. He was the 1984 South African Strokeplay champion, his biggest amateur win. He turned professional later that year... |
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| 3 | 25 Jan 1992 | Lexington South African PGA Championship | 1 stroke | Ian Palmer Ian Palmer Ian Stanley Palmer is a South African professional golfer.Palmer was born in Uitenhage. He turned professional in 1981 and has won the 1985 PAN AM Wild Coast Sun Classic and the 1991 Nissan Challenge on the Southern Africa Tour... , Kevin Stone, Wayne WestnerWayne Westner Wayne Brett Westner is a South African golfer.Westner was born in Johannesburg. He turned professional in 1981 and has won several events in his home country, including two South African Opens. He spent many years on the European Tour where he won two tournaments and had a best Order of Merit... |
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| 4 | 15 Feb 1992 | South African Masters South African Masters The Nashua Masters, as it is currently known for sponsorship reasons, is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments on the Sunshine Tour. It is currently played in November with a prize fund of 1.2 million rand, and since 2001, has been held at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club in KwaZulu-Natal,... |
1 stroke | Chris Williams Chris Williams (golfer) Christopher Gary Williams is a professional golfer from England who currently lived in South Africa who has won nine times on the Sunshine Tour.... |
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| 5 | 28 Feb 1992 | Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Classic | |||
| 6 | 22 Nov 1992 | FNB Players Championship | 4 strokes |  Mark McNultyMark McNulty Mark William McNulty is an Irish/Zimbabwean professional golfer currently playing on the Champions Tour. He was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, and cracked the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 83 weeks from 1987 to 1992.McNulty... |
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| 7 | 20 Dec 1992 | Goodyear Classic | 2 strokes | Retief Goosen Retief Goosen Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S... |
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| 8 | 8 Jan 1995 | Bell's Cup | 5 strokes | Hendrik Buhrmann Hendrik Buhrmann Hendrik Theodor Smit Buhrmann is a South African professional golfer.Buhrmann was born in Vereeniging. He turned professional in 1985 and has won eight tournaments on the Southern African Sunshine Tour... , Pat Horgan |
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| 9 | 19 Feb 1995 | Lexington South African PGA Championship(co-sanctioned with the European Tour) | 2 strokes | Roger Wessels Roger Wessels Roger Mark Wessels is a South African professional golfer.Wessels was born in Port Elizabeth. He turned professional at a relatively late age in 1987, without having had any major successes as an amateur. Despite that, he won several times on the Southern Africa Tour, latterly the Sunshine Tour,... |
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| 10 | 21 Jan 1996 | Philips South African Open | 1 stroke | Brenden Pappas Brenden Pappas Brenden Pappas is a professional golfer from South Africa who currently plays on the Nationwide Tour.-Early life:Pappas was born in Phalaborwa, South Africa. He is the youngest of three brothers, Sean and Deane . He and brother Deane attended the University of Arkansas where he graduated in 1993... |
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| 11 | 8 Feb 1998 | South African Open(co-sanctioned with the European Tour) | 3 strokes | David Frost David Frost (golfer) David Laurence Frost is a South African professional golfer who has more than twenty professional tournament wins to his name, spread across four continents.... |
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| 12 | 17 Jan 1999 | Alfred Dunhill South Afican PGA Championship | 4 strokes | Richard Kaplan Richard Kaplan Richard Dennis Kaplan is a South African professional golfer who currently plays on the Sunshine Tour.Kaplan was born in Johannesburg and currently lives in Sandton, Johannesburg with his wife and two children... |
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| 13 | 9 Dec 2001 | Vodacom Players Championship | 1 stroke | Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman Trevor Immelman Trevor John Immelman is a South African professional golfer and winner of the 2008 Masters Tournament.-Early years:Immelman was born in Cape Town, South Africa. Born into a golfing family , he took up golf at the age of five. He attended Hottentots Holland High School... , Alan McLean, Martin Maritz |
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| 14 | 11 Dec 2005 | Dunhill Championship Dunhill Championship The Alfred Dunhill Championship is a men's professional golf tournament which is played in South Africa. It is part of the Southern African Sunshine Tour and is one of four events in South Africa that are co-sanctioned by the more prestigious European Tour.... (co-sanctioned with the European Tour) |
3 strokes | Louis Oosthuizen Louis Oosthuizen Lodewicus Theodorus "Louis" Oosthuizen is a South African professional golfer, who won the 2010 Open Championship.-Early life and career:... , Charl SchwartzelCharl Schwartzel Charl Adriaan Schwartzel is a South African professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and the Sunshine Tour. He won the 2011 Masters Tournament. Schwartzel's highest world ranking has been number seven, in May 2011.... |
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| 15 | 17 Dec 2006 | South African Airways Open(co-sanctioned with the European Tour) | 3 strokes | Trevor Immelman |
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| 16 | 19 Dec 2010 2010 Sunshine Tour The 2010 Sunshine Tour was the 11th season of professional golf tournaments since the southern Africa based Sunshine Tour was relaunched in 2000, and the 4th since the tour switched a calendar based season in 2007... |
South African Open | 1 stroke | Retief Goosen Retief Goosen Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S... |
Other wins (14)
- 1994 (3) Toyota World Match Play Championship (unofficial money European Tour event), Sarazen World OpenSarazen World OpenThe Sarazen World Open was an unofficial event on the PGA Tour from 1994 to 1999. It was played at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Georgia except for 1999 when it was played at PGA Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. It was named in honor of golfer Gene Sarazen.Most of its field consisted of national open...
, Johnnie Walker World Golf ChampionshipJohnnie Walker World Golf ChampionshipThe Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship was a golf event held at the Tryall Golf Club in Jamaica from 1991 to 1995.The tournament was intended to be an official World Championship event to rival the four majors but was terminated after just five stagings.... - 1995 (1) Toyota World Match Play Championship (unofficial money European Tour event)
- 1996 (1) Toyota World Match Play Championship (unofficial money European Tour event)
- 1997 (1) PGA Grand Slam of GolfPGA Grand Slam of GolfThe PGA Grand Slam of Golf is an annual off-season golf tournament contested by the year's winners of the four major championships of regular men's golf, which are the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship , and the PGA Championship...
(unofficial money PGA Tour event) - 1999 (1) Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge (unofficial money Sunshine Tour event)
- 2000 (1) Nedbank Golf ChallengeNedbank Golf ChallengeThe Nedbank Golf Challenge is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It is not an official money event for any of the major tours, and like many high profile unofficial tournaments in professional golf it...
(unofficial money Sunshine Tour event) - 2002 (2) Nedbank Golf ChallengeNedbank Golf ChallengeThe Nedbank Golf Challenge is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It is not an official money event for any of the major tours, and like many high profile unofficial tournaments in professional golf it...
(unofficial money Sunshine Tour event), Cisco World Match Play Championship (unofficial money European Tour event) - 2003 (1) HSBC World Match Play ChampionshipHSBC World Match Play ChampionshipThe Volvo World Match Play Championship is the current name of an annual match play men's professional golf tournament. From 2009 the event has been played at the Finca Cortesín Golf Club in Casares near Málaga, Spain, having previously been played at Wentworth Club near London...
(unofficial money European Tour event) - 2004 (1) Nelson Mandela InvitationalNelson Mandela InvitationalThe Nelson Mandela Invitational was a charity golf tournament conceptualised by Marc Player, CEO of Black Knight International, which took place annually in South Africa from 2000 until 2006. It was named in honor of former South African President Nelson Mandela, and hosted by South Africa's most...
(unofficial money Sunshine Tour event; with Vincent TshabalalaVincent TshabalalaVincent Vesele Tshabalala is a South African professional golfer.Tshabalala was born in Johannesburg and worked as a mechanic before his golf career took over...
) - 2008 (1) Hassan II Golf TrophyHassan II Golf TrophyThe Hassan II Golf Trophy is a golf tournament in Morocco presided by His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid. It was held at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat until it moved to Agadir in 2011....
- 2010 (1) PGA Grand Slam of GolfPGA Grand Slam of GolfThe PGA Grand Slam of Golf is an annual off-season golf tournament contested by the year's winners of the four major championships of regular men's golf, which are the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship , and the PGA Championship...
(unofficial money PGA Tour event)
Wins (3)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
2 shot lead | −5 (69–71–66–73=279) | Playoff 1 | Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... , Loren RobertsLoren Roberts Loren Lloyd Roberts is an American professional golfer.-Early life:Roberts was born in San Luis Obispo, California. He competed for San Luis Obispo Senior High School and Cal Poly-SLO... |
| 1997 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... (2) |
2 shot deficit | −4 (71–67–69–69=276) | 1 stroke | Colin Montgomerie |
| 2002 2002 Open Championship The 2002 Open Championship was the 131st Open Championship held from 18-21 July at Muirfield Golf Links in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland. Ernie Els won his first Open Championship and third major championship in a playoff over Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington, and ultimately in a sudden-death... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
2 shot lead | −6 (70–66–72–70=278) | Playoff 2 | Stuart Appleby Stuart Appleby Stuart Appleby is an Australian professional golfer.-Early life:Appleby was born in Cohuna in rural northern Victoria, and grew up on a nearby dairy farm. He began in golf by hitting balls from paddock to paddock after his farm chores were completed... , Steve ElkingtonSteve Elkington Stephen John Elkington is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He spent over 50 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings from 1995 to 1998.-Early years and education:... , Thomas LevetThomas Levet Thomas Levet is a French professional golfer who is a member of the European Tour and former member of the PGA Tour.Levet was born in Paris, France... |
1 Defeated Montgomerie in 18-hole playoff and Roberts in sudden death: Els (74–4–4), Roberts (74–4–5), Montgomerie (78)
2 Defeated Appleby and Elkington in 4-hole playoff and Levet in sudden death: Els (4-3-5-4-par), Appleby (4–3–5–5), Elkington (5–3–4–5), Levet (4-3-5-4-bogey)
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T8 | CUT | T12 | T17 | T16 | T27 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T7 | 1 | CUT | T5 | 1 | T49 | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
CUT | DNP | DNP | T5 | T6 | T24 | T11 | T2 | T10 | T29 | T24 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | CUT | T25 | T3 | T61 | T53 | T21 | CUT |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | 2 | T6 | T5 | T6 | 2 | 47 | T27 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T2 | T66 | T24 | T5 | T9 | T15 | T26 | T51 | T14 | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T2 | T3 | 1 | T18 | 2 | T34 | 3 | T4 | T7 | T8 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T34 | T13 | T34 | T5 | T4 | DNP | T16 | 3 | T31 | T6 |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T18 | T47 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
3 | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
CUT | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T18 | CUT |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Summary
- Starts – 74
- Wins – 3
- 2nd place finishes – 6
- 3rd place finishes – 5
- Top 5 finishes – 21
- Top 10 finishes – 31
- Longest streak of top-10s in majors – 5
Wins (2)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 2004 WGC-American Express Championship The 2004 WGC-American Express Championship was a golf tournament that was contested from September 30 to October 3, 2004 at Mount Juliet Golf Course in Thomastown, Kilkenny, Ireland... |
WGC-American Express Championship | 2 strokes | 1 stroke | Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won thirteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1999 he also became the first Dane to qualify for a European Ryder Cup team... |
|
| 2010 2010 WGC-CA Championship The 2010 WGC-CA Championship was a golf tournament that was contested from March 11–14 at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Doral, Florida. It was the 11th WGC-CA Championship tournament, and the second of four World Golf Championships events staged in 2010.... |
WGC-CA Championship WGC-CA Championship The WGC-Cadillac Championship is one of the four annual World Golf Championships tournaments for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... (2) |
Tied for lead | 4 strokes | Charl Schwartzel Charl Schwartzel Charl Adriaan Schwartzel is a South African professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and the Sunshine Tour. He won the 2011 Masters Tournament. Schwartzel's highest world ranking has been number seven, in May 2011.... |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture Match Play Championship WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship is one of the annual World Golf Championships. It is a knockout event and is staged in January or February each year... |
R64 | R32 | 4 | R32 | R64 | DNP | DNP | R64 | R64 | R64 |
| Cadillac Championship | T40 | WD | NT1 | T23 | T12 | 1 | DNP | 5 | T11 | 75 |
| Bridgestone Invitational WGC-Bridgestone Invitational The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is one of the annual World Golf Championships for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the PGA European Tour... |
5 | T12 | T8 | T15 | T17 | T65 | DNP | T31 | T22 | T27 |
| Tournament | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture Match Play Championship WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship is one of the annual World Golf Championships. It is a knockout event and is staged in January or February each year... |
QF | R32 | R32 |
| Cadillac Championship | T20 | 1 | T15 |
| Bridgestone Invitational WGC-Bridgestone Invitational The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is one of the annual World Golf Championships for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the PGA European Tour... |
T29 | T22 | T37 |
| HSBC Champions | 2 | T6 | T33 |
1Cancelled due to 9/11
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
WD = withdrew
NT = No Tournament
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
PGA and European Tour career summary
| |PGA Tour | |European Tour | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Wins (Majors) | Earnings (US$) | Rank | Wins (Majors) | Earnings | Rank |
| 1991 | 0 | 2,647 | 274 | 0 | £2,357 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | 18,420 | 213 | 0 | £66,626 | 75 |
| 1993 | 0 | 38,185 | 190 | 0 | £162,827 | 34 |
| 1994 | 1 (1) | 684,440 | 19 | 2 (1) | £311,850 | 10 |
| 1995 | 1 | 842,590 | 14 | 1 | £82,459 | – |
| 1996 | 1 | 906,944 | 14 | 0 | £209,148 | – |
| 1997 | 2 (1) | 1,243,008 | 9 | 2 (1) | £359,421 | – |
| 1998 | 1 | 763,783 | 36 | 1 | £433,884 | 8 |
| 1999 | 1 | 1,710,756 | 15 | 1 | €588,360 | 12 |
| 2000 | 1 | 3,469,405 | 3 | 1 | €2,017,248 | 3 |
| 2001 | 0 | 2,336,456 | 15 | 0 | €1,716,287 | 4 |
| 2002 | 2 (1) | 3,291,895 | 5 | 3 (1) | €2,251,708 | 3 |
| 2003 | 2 | 3,371,237 | 9 | 4 | €2,975,374 | 1 |
| 2004 | 3 | 5,787,225 | 2 | 3 | €4,061,905 | 1 |
| 2005 | 0 | 1,627,184 | 47 | 3 | €1,012,683 | 18 |
| 2006 | 0 | 2,326,220 | 28 | 1 | €1,716,208 | 5 |
| 2007 | 0 | 2,705,715 | 20 | 2 | €2,496,237 | 2 |
| 2008 | 1 | 2,537,290 | 20 | 0 | €674,098 | 42 |
| 2009 | 0 | 2,147,157 | 36 | 0 | €1,571,501 | 11 |
| 2010 | 2 | 4,558,861 | 3 | 1 | €2,261,607 | 7 |
| 2011* | 0 | 948,872 | 93 | 0 | €469,504 | 51 |
| Career* | 18 (3) | 41,318,291 | 5 | 25 (3) | €26,100,907 | 1 |
These figures are from the respective tour's official sites. Note that there is double counting of money earned (and wins) in the majors and World Golf Championships since they became official events on both tours.
Team appearances
Professional- Alfred Dunhill CupAlfred Dunhill CupThe Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...
(representing South Africa): 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 (winners), 1998 (winners), 1999, 2000 - World CupWGC-World CupThe World Cup is a men's golf tournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking, although not all of the first choice players choose to compete...
(representing South Africa): 1992, 1993, 1996 (Individual and team winners), 1997, 2001 (winners) - Presidents CupPresidents CupThe Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
(International team): 19961996 Presidents Cup16½ United States – 15½ InternationalThe 2nd Presidents Cup Matches were held in 1996 between September 13 and September 15. They were played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, USA. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 16½–15½. The honorary chairmen...
, 19981998 Presidents CupInternational 20½ - United States 11½The 3rd Presidents Cup Matches were held in 1998 on December 11-13. They were played at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. The International team won the competition by a margin of 20½–11½. This was the first time the International team won...
(winners), 20002000 Presidents CupUnited States 21½ - International 10½The 4th Presidents Cup Matches were held in 2000 between October 19 and October 22. They were played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, USA. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 21½–10½...
, 20032003 Presidents CupUnited States 17 - International 17The 5th Presidents Cup Matches were held in 2003 between November 20 and November 23. They were played at the Links Course at Fancourt Hotel and Country Club Estate in George, Western Cape, South Africa. The United States and International team tied the...
(tie), 20072007 Presidents CupUnited States 19½ - International 14½The 7th Presidents Cup Matches were held in 2007 between September 27 and September 30. They were played at the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Île Bizard, Quebec, Canada. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 19½–14½.-Format:On the first day six...
, 20092009 Presidents CupUnited States 19½ - International 14½The 8th Presidents Cup Matches were held October 8–11, 2009 at the Harding Park Golf Club in San Francisco, California. The United States team won the golf competition by a margin of 19½–14½, their second consecutive win by that exact score and third in a row...
, 20112011 Presidents CupUnited States 19 - International 15The 9th Presidents Cup Matches were held from 17 to 20 November 2011. They were played at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. The United States team won by a score of 19 to 15 over the International team. Jim Furyk won all five of his...
See also
- Golfers with most major championship wins
- List of World Number One male golfers
- Golfers with most PGA Tour winsGolfers with most PGA Tour winsThis is a list of golfers who have won five or more official money events on the PGA Tour.Players under 50 years of age are shown in bold. On his 50th birthday a golfer becomes eligible to compete on the Champions Tour, and he is unlikely to add to his tally of PGA Tour wins after that date This is...
- Golfers with most European Tour winsGolfers with most European Tour winsThis is a list of golfers who have won eight or more events on the European Tour since it was established in 1972. There are some complications in preparing such a list, and different publications have produced different numbers...
- Golfers with most Sunshine Tour winsGolfers with most Sunshine Tour winsThis is a list of golfers who have recorded the most number of tournament wins on the Sunshine Tour since it was established. It was previously named the South African winter Tour, the FNB Winter Tour and the South African Tour. This list contains golfers who have won any number of events that are...
- List of African golfers
- Monday Night GolfMonday Night GolfMonday Night Golf was a series of seven match play golf challenge matches that ran from 1999 to 2005. All the matches involved World Number 1 Tiger Woods, and were run by his representatives IMG, and broadcast on ABC Sports...
- List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards