Els was a scratch golfer by age 14 and his first big victory was that same year when he beat Phil Mickelson in the 1984 Junior World Golf Championship.

Ernie Els was part of a golden generation of SA golfers, which also ushered in a couple of top players over the last three decades.

KA'UPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii (AP) - Ernie Els won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship on Saturday for his seventh PGA Tour Champions victory, closing with a 6-under 66 to beat Bernard Langer, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alex Cejka by two strokes.

Ernie Els has a soft spot for Hawaii, winning five times on four different islands, including on Saturday at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship.

1, Jerry Kelly, 88.89%. 2 (tie), Steven Alker, Alex Cejka and Steve Flesch, 87.04%. 5 (tie), Ernie Els, Mark Hensby, Thongchai Jaidee and Bernhard Langer, 85.19%. 9, Ken Tanigawa, 83.33%. 10, Brett Quigley, 81.48%.

South African Ernie Els fired a 6-under 66 on Saturday to win the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii.

Of Langer’s 357 starts on the tour, the 67-year-old German notched his 90th top-two finish. He won at Hualalai in 2009, 2014 and 2017. Langer additionally clinched the 2024 Charles Schwab Cup Championship in November in Phoenix, Ariz.

Ernie Els claimed his seventh PGA Tour Champions title with a remarkable 6-under 66, defeating Bernard Langer and others by two strokes. Langer aimed for his 19th consecutive tour win but missed out despite strong competition.

Here are five things to know about Jupiter's Ernie Els. Els, 55, has won 79 events worldwide during his Hall of Fame career, including this month's Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Kailua-Kona ...

KA’UPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii — Ernie Els won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship on Saturday for his seventh PGA Tour Champions victory, closing with a 6-under 66 to beat Bernard ...

KA’UPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii — Ernie Els won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship on Saturday for his seventh PGA Tour Champions victory, closing with a 6-under 66 to beat Bernard Langer, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alex Cejka by two strokes.

Billy Horschel recently responded to Ernie Els explaining his habit of changing golf balls after every birdie he scores.