All-Time Greatest Golfers From South Africa 3. Ernie Els Els followed in Gary Player's peripatetic footsteps by traveling the globe to pursue his golf career. For most of his pro career, Els has played pretty much everywhere: America and Africa and Australia and Asia and Europe. And he's won everywhere. Els has two U.S. Open titles and two Open Championship crowns; through July 2012, he had 19 USPGA Tour titles and 27 wins on the European Tour, plus numerous other wins on the South African, Asian and Japan tours. More » Photo © Rich Hodge; used with permission 4. Retief Goosen The Goose's first win in the United States was the 2001 U.S. Open . Three years later, he added another U.S. Open. Goosen also has wins on the Sunshine Tour, the Asian Tour and the European Tour (more than a dozen through 2010), to go along with his seven official PGA Tour victories (through 2010). 5.

David Frost Frost is another of the great putters in golf history, and he's the only South African other than Player, Locke and Els to have double-digit victories on the USPGA Tour. Frost won 10 times on the PGA Tour. Frost also won on the Sunshine Tour, in Europe and in Japan. 6. Rory Sabbatini It's a tough call putting Sabbatini ahead of major winner Charl Schwartzel, but Sabbatini is the older, more-established player, who has a longer, strong body of work behind him. Unlike the other players on this list, Sabbatini's full-time career has been spent almost entirely on the USPGA. He has no wins on other any tour. But he does have six wins (as of 2012) on the USPGA. On the world's top tour, he's been a consistent performer and strong presence over an extended period of time. 7. Charl Schwartzel Schwartzel vaulted up this list when he won the 2011 Masters , his first major and his first official USPGA Tour victory. But Schwartzel, 27 years old at the time, was already building a case for himself.

He had won five times on the Sunshine Tour, three of those events cosanctioned by the European Tour. And his three other European Tour victories through early 2011 included big wins at the Dunhill Championship and Open de Espana . 8. Louis Oosthuizen At the time Oosthuizen won the 2010 British Open , he had but a handful of other victories on pro tours. Since then, he's added a few more on both the European and Sunshine (South African) tours. 8. Trevor Immelman Injuries have interrupted his career, but he won the 2008 Masters and prior to that had one other win on the PGA Tour, along with victories in Africa and Europe. 10. Harold Henning Henning won twice on the USPGA and once on the European tours, along with more than 15 wins in South Africa. His PGA Tour victories were in 1966 and 1970, and his Euro win was in 1981. Then he had several productive years on the Champions Tour in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

FAMOUS SOUTH AFRICAN GOLFERS FAMOUS SOUTH AFRICAN GOLFERS BOBBY LOCKE Who passed away in 1967, is still recognized as one of the top putters ever to play the game. He coined one of the game's famous one-liners: ‘You drive for show but putt for dough.' He laid the foundation for South African golf from which Gary Player and Ernie Els would later benefit. In recognition of his achievements the R&A awarded him honorary membership in 1976. South Africa can be proud of him. GARY PLAYER The world's golfing ambassador, is also a top golf course designer in SA. At the age of 67, Gary Player is still active in seniors' golf, and hasn't written off his chances of adding another title to his amazing record. With 163 international tournament wins, Player is 63 wins ahead of Jack Nicklaus - the man whom many consider to be the greatest golfer of all time.

ERNIE ELS Also known as the ‘Big Easy', is the best- known South African golfer on the PGA circuit, number two golfer in the world and one of four South Africans to have won a major championship. The Big Easy has won the US Open twice, in 1994 and 1997, and that won't be the end of his success in major championships. Els remains one of the world's elite players. RETIEF GOOSEN Most South African-based golf experts, to their credit, knew that Retief Goosen was a big thing waiting to happen before he proved them right in 2001. ‘The Goose' claimed his first major victory in 2001 when he won the US Open, often referred to as the most difficult major to win, with a steady display that included numerous fantastic saves on a difficult Southern Hills golf course. Ernie Els: The Big Easy Ernie Els: The Big Easy Ernie Els: The Big Easy 27 Mar 2002 Tweet on Twitter There was a time when Tiger Woods was on his way to challenge Jack Nicklaus as the greatest golfer of all time.

Yet, at the same time, Ernie Els challenged Woods for the world number one ranking, and even held it for short periods of time. Known as “the Big Easy”, he followed the legendary Gary Player as a South African golfing great. While Els hasn’t managed to match Player’s success in majors – few people have – he has won the World Matchplay Championship, a one-on-one challenge, more times than anyone else. In fact, the man whose record he superceded is Gary Player. Els has seven victories to his name and Player five. While Els emulated Player’s success in matchplay, his career, for a long time, was similar in terms of there being a “Big Three” in the game. In Player’s day it was the South African maestro and the Americans Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. At the height of Els’ career, it was the SA star and the Americans Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Sadly, injury saw the consistency of Els’ game drop a notch or two after he underwent reconstructive knee surgery in 2005. Yet, that did not stop him winning titles and defeating the world’s best players.

In 2012, he proved he was far from finished by lifting The Open Championship title at at Royal Lytham and Saint Annes. Autism There is another reason, not as well known, which explains why Els has not remained as consistent a title challenger in the latter stages of his career, but it is an admirable one. In 2008, he revealed that his son Ben suffers from autism, a brain development disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. Little known is that autism statistics released in 2012 revealed it affects one in 91 people! Using his public profile, Els has tried to teach people about autism and his primary focus has shifted from golf to learning about autism and trying to find the cause of it. Not only has he moved to the USA, where special schools for austistic children are available, but Els has set up the Els for Autism Foundation which is aimed at funding the building and running of a research centre at the Scripps Institute in Florida, USA. A campaign to raise $30-million of capital, after which the Center will be able to fund its ongoing operations, is on the go.

The Els family has already contributed over $6-million alone. The inaugural Els for Autism Pro-Am took place in April 2009 and drew an astonishing line-up of players – testament to Els’ standing in the game – that included Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Gary Player, Raymond Floyd, Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Tim Clark, Richard Sterne, Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, and Jeev Milkha Singh among others. Foundation Apart from his support of research into autism, Els has also given back to golf through his Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation. It was founded in 1999 and, according to its website, it was “with the purpose of identifying and assisting young individuals from families of limited resources who show promise in the game of golf. “It serves to provide these individuals with educational assistance and opportunities to play, and in so doing create an environment where not only their playing ability could be developed to its full potential, but they could be encouraged to become successful young leaders.” Major winners Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen are products of the Foundation, as is Branden Grace,a four-time winner on the PGA European Tour in 2012.

While Els’ focus has shifted somewhat from being solely focused on golf, his Open Championship title in 2012 showed that his skills need to be respected. They have not eroded. Majors He has enjoyed an exceptionally successful career. It has included four major titles: the US Open in 1994 and 1997 and The Open Championship in 2002 and 2012. His professional career began in 1989, which was the same year in which he won the South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship. He achieved his first professional win in 1991 in the Amatola Classic, but it was in 1992 that Els found the success that had long been expected and awaited. When it came, it came in buckets. In an astonishing run of victories, he won six times on the Sunshine Tour, including the South African Open, the South African PGA Championship and the South African Masters. His achievement in winning South Africa’s three biggest events matched that of South Africa’s Sportsman of the Twentieth Century, Gary Player, one of the all-time greats of the game, which made it clear that Els was a special talent.

The following year, 1993, Els scored his first win on foreign soil, capturing the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan. First major victory A year after that he hit the big time when he captured the US Open. Instead of the regulation 72 holes, he played 92 holes after he finished tied for the lead with Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie, then tied with Roberts over an 18-hole playoff, before winning on the second hole of a sudden death playoff. Ernie Els had arrived and another win on American soil, in the first Sarazen World Open, which included a tournament record of 30 over nine holes, confirmed this. The Big Easy also showed that he was happy to demonstrate his skills anywhere in the world. Competing on the PGA European Tour, he captured the 1994 Dubai Desert Classic title. His winning effort included a stunning round of 61 that included 12 birdies. Els’ willingness to compete anywhere in the world was to become one of his trademarks. A victory in the World Matchplay Championship further enhanced the South African’s status as one of the world’s leading golfers; one-on-one there is nowhere to hide.

Only two results are possible: win or lose, and Els, since his first win, had acquired a remarkable winning habit. World Matchplay titles He has gone on to demonstrate his brilliance in the world’s foremost one-on-one showdown over the years, providing ample evidence of his status as one of the leading golfers of his generation. Els won the World Matchplay title in 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2007. He finished as runner-up in 1997. His feat of winning the title three years in succession – something he has managed twice – is unmatched. Apart from victories on the PGA Tour and Sunshine Tour in 1996, Els also recorded one of his career highlights when he teamed up with Wayne Westner to win the World Cup of Golf at Erinvale in South Africa by a record 18 strokes. He and Westner dominated the event, finishing first and second in individual scoring. In 2001, Els and Retief Goosen lifted the title for South Africa again, winning in Gotemba, Japan.

When the Big Easy’s captured a second US Open victory in 1997, he became the first foreign player since Alex Smith (1906, 1910) to win the tournament twice. Alfred Dunhill Cup Els once again flew the flag for South Africa when he was part of the team that lifted the Alfred Dunhill Cup at Saint Andrew’s in 1997 and 1998. In 1998, he was one of the stars of the Rest of the World’s huge victory of 20½-11½ over the USA in the Presidents Cup. It was the worst defeat ever suffered by the Americans. As one of the most consistent players on the very competitive PGA Tour, Els enjoyed a superb run during which he won at least one event on the Tour from 1994 to 2000. His lack of a title in the USA in 2001 was offset by the aforementioned victory with Retief Goosen in the World Cup. Els then won titles in America from 2002 to 2004.

His wins in 2002 included his third major title, The Open Championship, which he captured at Muirfield. Apart from his major victories, he has finished as a runner-up five times. PGA European Tour successes While the Big Easy was one of the leading lights on the PGA Tour for the decade from 1994 to 2004, he was still active in other parts of the world and was one of the PGA European Tour’s leading players. In fact, Els topped the European Tour’s Order of Merit in 2004 and 2005. He was second in 2007 and third in 2000 and 2002. His titles on the European Tour include victories in diverse surroundings, such as South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, China, Switzerland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The Nedbank Challenge During his career, Els has also been a loyal supporter of the Nedbank Challenge, played annually towards the end of the year at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City. He has appeared more times than anyone else. Not surprisingly, he is also a runaway leader in the all-time money list for the tournament.

Els holds the tournament record for the lowest winning score, an astounding 25-under-par total of 263 – comprising rounds of 67, 66, 64, and 66 – in 1999. He finished on 21-under-par in 2002 and 20-under in 2000. He won the tournament in all three of those years. Knee surgery in 2005 affected his play. He was no longer as consistent and dominant as he had been, but he continued to win, picking up titles in the USA, in Europe, Asia and South Africa. He enjoyed a particularly good year in 2010, recording back-to-back victories in the World Golf Championships-CA Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational to underline his status as one of the golfing world’s leading lights. Later in the year, he lifted the WGC Bridgestone Invitational title and claimed the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. He rounded out the year by winning the South African Open for a fifth time.

Career victories By October 2010, he had won four major championships, 19 titles on the PGA Tour (including majors), 27 titles on the European Tour (including majors), 16 titles on the Sunshine Tour, one title on the Japan Golf Tour, as well as 14 other victories, including in the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the World Match Play Championship. Apart from his fine achievements on golf courses around the world, Els has also become a sought-after golf course designer. He has designed courses in South Africa, the USA, China, the United Arab Emirates, the Bahamas, Bahrain, and Hawaii. Would you like to use this article in your publication or on your website?

See: Using SAinfo material TAGS Golfer Ernie Els Biography and Career Details Ernie Els Awards and Honors: • Member, World Golf Hall of Fame • European Tour Order of Merit winner, 2003, 2004 • European Tour scoring average leader 2003, 2004 • Member, Presidents Cup International team, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003 (tie), 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 Ernie Els Biography: "Big Easy" is Ernie Els' nickname, and it's a great nickname because it describes so many things about him: he's tall; his manner on and off the course is very low-key and easygoing; his golf swing is fluid and appears effortless, yet produces great power. continue reading below our video What Size Bike Should I Buy? Els grew up in South Africa playing rugby, cricket, tennis and golf. At age 13, he won a major tennis tournament, the Eastern Transvaal Junior Championships.

But at 14 he made it to scratch as a golfer, and decided to focus on golf. That year he won the Junior World Championship golf tournament in San Diego, Calif., beating Phil Mickelson by several strokes. Els turned pro in 1989 and won his first pro tournament in 1991. In 1992, he won the South African Open, South African PGA and South African Masters tournaments, something Gary Player had previously done. In 1993, Els got his first win on the European Tour, and in 1994 his first on the U.S. PGA Tour . And that was a big one: the 1994 U.S. Open , which Els claimed by winning a 3-man playoff that lasted 20 holes. Els has enjoyed great success splitting his time between the US and European tours, while also playing in South Africa, Asia and other places around the world. He's won four majors with numerous other close calls. Among the other big tournaments Els has won is the World Match Play Championship . In 1994-96, Els became the first golfer to win the event three straight years.

He did it again in 2002-04, becoming the first 6-time champion in that event's illustrious history. In 2004, Els led the European Tour in money while finishing second on the US PGA Tour's money list. Els tore ligaments in his left knee in 2005, and the injury kept him out of golf, and then off form, for quite a while. But in late 2006 he won the South African Open, then late in 2007 he won the World Match Play Championship for the seventh time. When Els won the Honda Classic in early 2008, it was his first victory on the USPGA Tour since 2004. He won twice more in 2010. And late in 2010, by vote on the PGA Tour Ballot, Els was elected to join the World Golf Hall of Fame . Becoming a Hall of Famer didn't mean Els' winning ways were over, though.

Despite slumping in 2011 and the early parts of 2012 - Els didn't even qualify to play the 2012 Masters - he won his fourth major at the 2012 British Open. Off the course, Els' business interests include golf course design and a winery. He also is involved with two foundations. One, Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation, supports junior golf in South Africa. The other is Els For Autism, which raises awareness about and raises money for research into autism. Golf Today's A to Z of Golf: Nicknames of golfers, past and present Nicknames of golfers, past and present A Aquaman Woody Austin: he fell in a lake on the follow-through from a difficult lie on the bank during the 2007 Presidents Cup B Babe Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias: hugely gifted all-round sportwoman, called 'Babe' (from Babe Ruth) after hitting five home runs in a baseball game. 41 LPGA wins, including ten majors (four of them won as an amateur). Big Easy Ernie Els: because he's big, and makes it look so easy.

Big Fijian Tough one, this. It's Vijay Singh. Because he's big (1m88, 94kg) too, and he's from Fiji. Big Mama JoAnne Carner: winner of 43 LPGA titles, including two US Women's Opens - a tall, powerful woman. Big Wiesy Michelle Wie: tall, willowy and with effortless length, ie a sort of female Ernie Els. Black Knight, The Gary Player: South African legend, famous for wearing black, supposedly to help him absorb the sun's energy. Boo Thomas Brent Weekley, a keen hunter and woodsman (from Boo Boo Bear, cartoon character friend of Yogi Bear) Boom Boom Fred Couples: a reference to his immense power off the tee. Boss of the Moss Loren Roberts: one of the finest putters in the game. Buffalo Bill Billy Casper: prolific winner of tournaments from the 50's to early 70s, including two US Opens and a Masters. Fought a lifelong battle with his weight, and ate buffalo meat and organic vegetables to try and keep it down.

Bulldog Corey Pavin : a reference to his gritty, determined, never-give-up playing style, rather than his slight, short-hitting physique. Won the 1995 US Open with a memorable 4-wood to 5 feet on the final hole. C Champagne Tony Tony Lema: winner of the 1964 Open Championship. Aquired the name after promising champagne to the press if he won the Orange County Open in 1962 (he did). Died aged 32 in 1966 when his plane ran out of fuel and crashed onto a golf course. Chippie Paul Lawrie: 1999 Open Champion, for his enviable short game, developed as a child by chipping balls into a small gravel circle in which stood the rotating clothes line on which his mother hung the washing. Chocolate Soldier Henry Picard: American winner of the Masters and US PGA, contemporary of Sam Snead and Ben Hogan. "Pick" to his friends, he was head pro at the Hershey Country Club in the 1930s, whence the nickname. Also called the "Hershey Hurricane".

Choke, The Scott Hoch: unforgiving reference to his habit of challenging for, but losing major titles, including missing two 2-3 foot putts in the 1989 Masters which ultimately gave Nick Faldo the title. Chucky Three Sticks Charles Gordon Howell III: as in I, I and I... D Doc Gil Morgan: successful US pro (7 PGA and 25 Champuions Tour wins, who is also a qualified Doctor of Optometry. Double D Former world number one David Duval. Duffy James Joseph Waldorf, Jr: four-time PGA Tour winner and wine connaisseur, with a taste in flamboyant shirts and golf balls decorated by his children. El Gato Eduardo Romero: Spanish for cat - the Argentine has a feline way of stalking around his shots. El Niño Sergio Garcia : first came on tour as a brash teenager and had a 'whirlwind' style on the course. F Frank Urban Zoeller: from his initials F.U.Z. Winner of the Masters amd the US Open. G Ben Crenshaw: ironic reference to his fierce temper, despite angelic looks.

Giant, The Craig Smith: to date, his main claim to fame is being the world's tallest touring professional at 6ft 8in (2m.03). Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus - from his blond hair, large frame, aggressive golf and large fortune earned in golf and business. Goose, The Retief Goosen - enough said, although strictly speaking the nickname is linguistically incorrect, as his name is pronounced 'Hersen' in his native Afrikaans. Great White Shark Greg Norman, big, blond, Australian former world no. 1. Ironically, despite the nickname and his prodigious number of tournament victories around the world, he is arguably more famous for the major championships he failed to win than for those (2 Open Championships) he won. H Haig, The Walter Hagen : also called "Sir Walter" - golf's first superstar. He won eleven of what are now called the majors (before the Masters existed); only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have more. Did much to change the perception of professional golfers and their status in golf. Halimoney Hal Sutton: the 2004 (losing) US Ryder captain has three ex-wives.

Hawk, The Ben Hogan: probably for his ability to intimidate opponents with his skills, but also his icy stare and stony silence as he went about his game. Possibly the greatest ball-striker of all time (definitely the best, according to Jack Nicklaus). Huckleberry Dillinger Early nickname for Tom Watson (who comes from Kansas City, Missouri), because his innocent looking, smiling face belied a killer instinct in his golf. I (Wee) Ice Mon Ben Hogan: name given to Hogan by admiring Scots after his (only appearance and victory) in the Open Championship at Carnoustie. Also called "Bantam Ben", for his lightweight, yet powerful build. J Mark James: (losing) 1999 European Ryder Cup captain, after the US outlaw. Jumbo Masashi 'Junbo' Ozaki is a large man in a country of generally smaller men, and immensely long off the tee. In the late 80s and 90s he was frequently in the Official World Golf Ranking top ten.

K King, The Arnold Palmer: to millions of adoring fans (Arnie's Army) he was simply the King, the most popular golfer of all time, who did much to create the modern game and its huge following, with his swashbuckling golf style and charismatic personality. L Lefty Phil Mickelson: not very original, although strangely he is right-handed in everything else, having started golf by copying his father's swing like a mirror-image, hence the left-handedness). Lumpy Tim Herron: given to him when he was 15 and working at a golf course by his colleagues, on account of his unstructured body shape. M Machine, The Gene Littler: from his technically perfect, beatiful golf swing. Name also applied to Ben Hogan, although his swing was more mechanical in its flawlessness. Mechanic, The Miguel Angel Jimenez: the Spaniard loves to tinker with high-performance cars (in partiucular his own Ferrari), having spent six months working in a garage before he became a professional golfer. Merry Mex Lee Trevino: although American, he had Mexican roots. From his habit of wisecracking throughout a round, even sometimes on his backswing.

Probably a way of controlling his own nerves, and likely also a gamesmanship tactic against his opponents. As his career blossomed, "Merry Mex" evolved into "Supermex". Miss 59 Annika Sorenstam, who shot the only 59 ever on the LPGA Tour in the second round of the 2001 Standard Register Ping tournament over the par-72 Moon Valley Country Club in Phoenix. Her personalised Callaway golf balls have '59' stamped on them. Monty Affectionate, not very original name for Colin Montgomerie, eight time European Order of Merit winner. Also sometimes called 'Mrs Doubtfire' in America, after the Robin Williams film character, but this is best said out of his hearing. N O Ohio Fats Jack Nicklaus: name given to him by 'Arnie's Army' (fans of Arnold Palmer) in the early to mid-60s when he was a young pretender knocking 'The King' off his throne . Nicklaus came from Columbus, Ohio and was overweight when he went on Tour, although he slimmed down in the late 60s.

P Kim Mi-Hyun, successful Korean LPGA player, only 5ft 1 and small with it. Pink Panther Paula Creamer: pink is her trademark, from her clothing to her hair ribbon, golf ball, club grips and bag. Pink Panther Jesper Parnevik: the eccentric Swede has an individual dress sense and was freqently seen in various shades of pink. Popeye Craig Parry, after the cartoon character with huge forearms. R Radar Mike Reid, US PGA pro, for his straight driving (and possibly a passing resemblance to the character from the M*A*S*H TV series). Radar Wayne Riley, Australian pro turned Sky TV on-course commentator. Named after 'Radar' O'Riley from M*A*S*H. Robopro Bob Estes : term coined by US commentator and pro Gary McCord, in reference to his mechanical, wooden swing and dour demeanour. S Scientist, The Robert Karlsson: the Swede acquired this sobriquet for his extremely analytical and technical spproach to the game. Shrek Louis Oosthuizen: the gap-toothed South African 2010 Open Champion at St Andrews is thought by friends to resemble the animated cinema ogre.

By the way, 'Louis' is not his birth name - his passport states 'Lodewicus Theodorus Oosthuizen, after his grandfather. Slammin' Sam Samuel Jackson Snead: seven time major winner anmd to this day holder of the most PGA Tour titles record with 82, and almost as many elsewhere in the world. Possessed a wonderfully elegant, smooth, effortless swing, which genereated enormous power and distance, hence the nickname. Slow Motion Don January: PGA Tour player from the 50s into the 70s who won 10 titles, including the 1967 US PGA Championship, with a swing, gait and manner that was always slow and smooth. Smallrus, The Kevin Stadler: Son of 1982 Masters Champion Craig, Kevin is - minus the facial hair - a dead ringer for his Dad, The Walrus . Smiling Assassin Shigeki Maruyama : fine Japanese pro with a permanent smile, whatever he's doing or how he's playing.

Spaceman Jesper Parnevik: the name his fellow PGA pros give him - presumably because he's a little 'extra-terrestrial' (he used to eat volcanic dust as a dietary supplement). Squire, The Gene Sarazen: of Italian extraction, Eugenio Saraceni had a very gentlemanly manner, was very elegant in plus fours and a owned large country estate in the US. He won seven majors and is won of only five men to have won all four modern major titles. T (KJ) Choi Kyung -ju: a power lifter in his youth, short and very powerfully built. Tiger Eldrick Tont Woods: given the name by his father Earl in memory of a Vietnamese soldier friend, Vuong Dang Phong, whom Earl had also nicknamed 'Tiger'. 'Tont' is a traditional Thai name, given by Tiger's Thai mother, Kultida. Tower, The Isao Aoki, hugely succesful player in the 1970s and 80s, now in the World Golf Hall of Fame, a winner on the Champions Tour and a TV analyst, who at 6ft is a tall man in Japan. Reached no.

3 in the World Rankings in 1980. U South African golf: a success story South African golf: a success story South African golf: a success story 03 May 2004 Tweet on Twitter South Africa has the weather, the courses … and the players. The country has produced some of the best in the game, including multiple major winners Bobby Locke, Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and a host of others that regularly challenge for big titles around the world. Gary Player , a nine-time major winner, will forever be associated with two of the greatest players in the history of the game, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Together, those three took golf to another level, pulling millions of new fans to the game with their great battles down the years. Player’s career is an astounding catalogue of successes, with 163 career victories, far more than either Nicklaus or Palmer managed. Player is also probably the most travelled athlete in the history of sport, having flown in excess of 17.5-million kilometres during his career! An astonishing talent Bobby Locke was an astonishing talent too. He lifted The Open Championship title four times.

In a series of exhibitions in 1946, he played Sam Snead, the winner of a record 82 PGA Tour titles. The result? In 14 matches, Locke won 12 times. Ernie Els remains one of the most popular golfers in the world. His best years had appeared to be behind him, but a fourth major victory in the 2012 Open Championship showed that he still has “it”. Like Gary Player and Bobby Locke, he is in the World Golf Hall of Fame. His apparently easy-going demeanour earned him the nickname “The Big Easy”, although Els says that perception is not quite right; he admits to feeling big pressure, just like everyone else. Another reason for his nickname is the beautiful, lazy-looking swing that somehow propels the ball over 300 metres down the fairway. Els has regularly been one of the top money-winners on both the European and US PGA Tours, while also campaigning in Australia and South Africa, and sometimes in Asia. Retief Goosen is a quiet man; the only real noise he makes is by his achievements on the golf courses of the world. They say enough, however.

He occupied a place in the top 10 of the world rankings for a long time and, like Els, has fared well wherever he plays. Goosen captured the US Open title in 2001 and 2004. He is also a two-time winner of the European Order of Merit. The man who stopped his three-peat was Ernie Els. New generation In recent times a new generation of top South African golfers has emerged. It began with Trevor Immelman’s stunning victory in the US Masters in 2008, just four months after having a tumour removed. It was a stunning turnaround of his fortunes and it meant he had emulated his hero, Gary Player. In 2010, Louis Oosthuizen added his name to the list of South African Major winners by capturing The Open Championship at Saint Andrews by a sensational seven shots. Not long after that, his good friend, Charl Schwartzel , lifted the US Masters title at Augusta. He entered the final round four shots off the pace, but ultimately won by two shots after closing with four successive birdies, a feat never before achieved in the Masters.

World Cup Two of South Africa’s most successful golfers of recent past, Els and Goosen won the World Cup of Golf for South Africa in 2001 and that success was repeated in 2003 at Kiawah Island, but with Rory Sabbatini and Trevor Immelman flying the South African flag. Previous victories by Els and Wayne Westner in 1996, Bobby Cole and Dale Hayes in 1974, and Gary Player and Harold Henning in 1965 mean South Africa is second on the all-time list of World Cup victories, trailing only the United States of America. Presidents Cup South African golfers have also featured in the biannual Presidents Cup which pits an International Team, excluding European golfers, against the USA. Ernie Els has appeared in it seven times and Retief Goosen six times. Others to play include Charl Schwartzel, Tim Clark, Trevor Immelman, Rory Sabbatini, David Frost, and Fulton Allem.

The 2003 Presidents Cup, played at Fancourt in South Africa, ended in a remarkable tie and led US captain, the legendary Jack Nicklaus, to call it: “the most unbelievable event the game of golf has ever seen.” Sunshine Tour A very healthy local tour, known as the Sunshine Tour, that also co-hosts a good number of events with the European PGA, ensures that South Africa continues to produce the golfing goods. Over the years it has attracted some of the world’s top golfers, often early on in their careers. South Africa has the weather, it has the courses, and it has the talented players too. An event that stands out in the minds of many is the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City. The first golf tournament to offer a first-place prize of US$1-million, it has since gone on to be a destination of choice for those among the world’s top golfers invited to contest it towards the end of each year. Foreigners are now discovering why South Africa has produced such consistently good golfers over the years. The country boasts fantastic courses in a wonderful variety of stunning settings, and the golf tourism industry is really starting to hot up.

It’s this combination of golfing ideals that continues to produce world class South African golfers. Would you like to use this article in your publication or on your website? See: Using SAinfo material TAGS Sunshine Tour | Where great golfers graduate About The Big Easy Tour GOLF ï¿½ SUNSHINE TOUR ï¿½ Mini-Tour announcement Sunshine Tour announces major development initiative The Sunshine Tour has announced the launch of the Sunshine Big Easy Tour, a mini-tour dedicated to giving a wider cross section of professionals to play in competitive professional events. The Big Easy Tour gets underway at Crown Mines Golf Club on March 24, and it will be the first of 10 events which will be followed by a Tour Championship at a venue to be announced at a later date. Former Sunshine Tour commissioner Gareth Tindall said, ï¿½As the Sunshine Tour continues to grow, we need to make sure we give more opportunities to develop skills in the professional game to a wider range of players, especially those who perhaps havenï¿½t had many opportunities to excel in amateur golf ranks.

The Big Easy Tour provides exactly that.ï¿½ The Tour is named after three-time Major winner Ernie Els in recognition of his continued commitment to the development of the game in South Africa. ï¿½I commend the Sunshine Tour on this initiative to provide competitive playing opportunities for our up-and-coming professionals and I am very honoured that the Tour has asked me to put my name to the new mini Tour,ï¿½ said Els from his US home in Florida. ï¿½The Big Easy Tour will help our young nationï¿½s talent mature, develop their playing skills and take the next big step towards full Tour status. Itï¿½s a great format and Iï¿½m sure it will prove popular.ï¿½ Professional golfers who received their cards at the Sunshine Tour 2011 Qualifying School played in Bloemfontein last year, and the top 30 at the Vusi Ngubeni Strokeplay played in Johannesburg in January are eligible to play on the Tour, as are those who finished from 71st to 150th on the 2010 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.

Each tournament will be played over two rounds, and, to begin with, all events will be in the Gauteng area, where the majority of golfers at whom the series is aimed live. That way, travel and accommodation costs will be alleviated for those players. Each event will have R100,000 in prize money, with the Big Easy Tour Championship having a purse of R250,000.

Question: Which South African golf player is known as 'The Big Easy'?
Answer: ERNIE ELS