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Ernie Els

South Africa · born , Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

4major championships

Summary

  • First major 1994 U.S. Open
  • Last major 2012 The Open
  • Runner-up in majors 6 times

Wins

  1. 1994 U.S. Open Oakmont C.C. · 279 (-5) · won a playoff against Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts
  2. 1997 U.S. Open Congressional C.C. · 276 (-4) · by 1 stroke from Colin Montgomerie
  3. 2002 The Open Muirfield · 278 (-6) · won a playoff against Thomas Levet, Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington
  4. 2012 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · 273 (-7) · by 1 stroke from Adam Scott

Near misses

  1. 1992 The Open Muirfield · finished T5 · 279 (-5)
  2. 1993 The Open Royal St George's Golf Club · finished T6 · 274 (-6)
  3. 1996 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · runner-up to Tom Lehman · 273
  4. 1997 The Open Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T10 · 282 (-2)
  5. 2000 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Vijay Singh · 281
  6. 2000 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · runner-up to Tiger Woods · 277
  7. 2000 U.S. Open Pebble Beach G.L. · runner-up to Tiger Woods
  8. 2001 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · finished T3 · 278 (-6)
  9. 2004 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Phil Mickelson · 280
  10. 2004 The Open Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · runner-up to Todd Hamilton · 274 · lost playoff
  11. 2006 The Open Royal Liverpool Golf Club · finished 3 · 275 (-13)
  12. 2007 The Open Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course) · finished T4 · 279 (-5)
  13. 2008 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished T7 · 292 (+12)
  14. 2009 The Open Turnberry (Ailsa Course) · finished T8 · 281 (+1)

Rivals

Beat him

Beaten in finals and playoffs

Stuart ApplebyLost a playoff to Ernie Els, 2002 Open

Next in the chain: Tom Lehman's rivals →

Moments

  1. 2002 Open Tiger Woods shot 81 in the cold, wet third round, which ended his bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam.
  2. 2002 Open In sudden death at the 18th, Levet found a fairway bunker and bogeyed, and Els got up and down from a greenside bunker for par.
  3. 2012 Open Adam Scott led by four with four to play, then bogeyed the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th, missing a par putt at the 18th that would have forced a playoff.
  4. 2012 Open Els birdied the 72nd hole to finish 273, coming from six behind at the start of the round.

Results by championship

    Best day

    2012 The Open

    Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · 273 (-7) · by 1 stroke from Adam Scott

    Adam Scott led by four with four to play, then bogeyed the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th, missing a par putt at the 18th that would have forced a playoff.

    Els birdied the 72nd hole to finish 273, coming from six behind at the start of the round.

    Chosen by rule: his widest winning margin in a major. Year page: 2012.

    Career line, 1992–2012

    Masters
    2000 Masters: runner-up to Vijay Singh2004 Masters: runner-up to Phil Mickelson
    U.S. Open
    1994 U.S. Open: won1997 U.S. Open: won2000 U.S. Open: runner-up to Tiger Woods
    The Open
    1992 The Open: finished T51993 The Open: finished T61996 The Open: runner-up to Tom Lehman1997 The Open: finished T102000 The Open: runner-up to Tiger Woods2001 The Open: finished T32002 The Open: won2004 The Open: runner-up to Todd Hamilton2006 The Open: finished 32007 The Open: finished T42008 The Open: finished T72009 The Open: finished T82012 The Open: won
    1995200020052010

    18 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Major win
    • Runner-up
    • Top 10

    Ernie Els was born on October 17, 1969, in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Els won 4 major championships: 2 U.S. Opens (1994, 1997) and 2 Open Championships (2002, 2012).

    See Ernie Els in our rooms: The Masters, U.S. Open, The Open, Greatest Golfer by State and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Wins in the majors (4)

    1. 1994 U.S. Open Oakmont C.C., Oakmont, PA · 279 (-5) · won a playoff against Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts (18 holes + sudden death)
    2. 1997 U.S. Open Congressional C.C., Bethesda, MD · 276 (-4) · by 1 stroke from Colin Montgomerie
    3. 2002 The Open Muirfield · 278 (-6) · won a playoff against Thomas Levet, Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington (Els 16 then 4; Levet 16 then 5; Appleby 17; Elkington 17)
    4. 2012 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · 273 (-7) · by 1 stroke from Adam Scott

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1992 The Open Muirfield · finished T5 · 279 (-5)
    2. 1993 The Open Royal St George's Golf Club · finished T6 · 274 (-6)
    3. 1996 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · runner-up to Tom Lehman · 273
    4. 1997 The Open Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T10 · 282 (-2)
    5. 2000 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Vijay Singh · 281
    6. 2000 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · runner-up to Tiger Woods · 277
    7. 2000 U.S. Open Pebble Beach G.L. · runner-up to Tiger Woods
    8. 2001 The Open Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club · finished T3 · 278 (-6)
    9. 2004 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Phil Mickelson · 280
    10. 2004 The Open Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · runner-up to Todd Hamilton · 274 · lost playoff
    11. 2006 The Open Royal Liverpool Golf Club · finished 3 · 275 (-13)
    12. 2007 The Open Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course) · finished T4 · 279 (-5)
    13. 2008 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished T7 · 292 (+12)
    14. 2009 The Open Turnberry (Ailsa Course) · finished T8 · 281 (+1)

    U.S. Open top-10 finishes in his career: 10 (GNN U.S. Open room data).

    Sources

    Elsewhere: Wikipedia · Wikidata.

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. where2golf
    2. DP World Tour all-time
    3. Wikipedia: Ernie Els
    4. Wikidata: Q440171
    5. GNN U.S. Open room (champions data)
    6. R&A 2002
    7. GC 2002
    8. GC 2012
    9. R&A 1992
    10. R&A 1993
    11. R&A 1997
    12. R&A 2001
    13. R&A 2006
    14. R&A 2007
    15. R&A 2008
    16. R&A 2009