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Ernie Els is nicknamed Big Easy because of his physique and fluid golf swings. He is calm on and off the course and well-known for his effortless shots. Els is a South African-born professional golfer who stands at a height of 6 feet 3 inches, making his fans call him "The Big Easy." He is among the most successful golfers in the world.
Els has won more than 70 career tournaments, including four major events. His career highlights include winning two US Opens and two Open Championships.
After having a successful career playing on the PGA Tour and European Tour, Ernie Els now primarily competes on the PGA Tour Champions. When he is not on the greens, Els enjoys designing golf courses, extending his business roots, and doing charitable work to promote golf among the underprivileged youth of his country.
Ernie Els was born on October 17, 1969, in Johannesburg. However, he grew up in Germiston. He was into rugby, tennis, and cricket during his developing days. He was a skilled junior tennis player and clinched the Eastern Transvaal Junior Championship when he was 13.
Ernie learned golf from his father, Neels, and soon developed an interest in the game. He was a scratch handicapped by the time he was 14 and soon achieved prominence in the game after winning the Junior World Golf Championship in the boys 13–14 category by defeating Phil Mickelson. After enjoying a successful amateur career, Els turned pro in 1989.
Ernie Els's professional career
Ernie Els started his professional journey with a victory at the South African Stroke Play Championship in 1989. He won his first professional event in 1991 playing on the South African tour, which is now known as the Sunshine Tour.
His first victory outside the country was recorded in 1993 when he won the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan, and a year later he won the first major of his career at the US Open by defeating Collin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts in an 18-hole playoff.
Ernie Els soon extended his roots in the golf universe, winning the Dubai Dessert Classic and then the Toyota World Match Play Championship (European Tour events).
1997 was the year of his career when the Johannesburg-born star golfer defeated Collin Montgomerie to win the second major of his career, the US Open, and also defended his Buick Classic Championship title against Jeff Maggert by two strokes.
Ernie Els won the third major of his career in 2002, winning The Open Championship by defeating Stuart Appleby, Steve Elkington, and Thomas Levet in a playoff. He won the second Open Championship in 2012 by one stroke over former World No. 1 golfer Adam Scott.
Interestingly, Ernie Els won two US Opens and two Open Championships, the first of both by playoff and the second by one stroke. He has won 75 professional events in his career, including 19 PGA Tour events and 28 European Tour events. Els won 18 Sunshine Tour, three Asian Tour, and three PGA Tour Champions events.
