Ernie Els was born on the 17th October, 1969 in Johannesburg, South Africa. As a child he played a whole host of sports. It wasn't until the age of 14 he decided to focus on golf. Els turned pro in 1989 and joined the European Tour three years later.

Els has been at the top of the game since the mid 1990's and has landed 3 major titles. He plays tournaments all around the world on both tours. His nickname is the big easy because of his 6ft 4 stature and his fluent golf swing. A knee injury in 2005 put Els out for 6 months.