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Ambassadors: Golf
Ernie Els (South Africa)
Ernie Els is one of the world’s most popular golfers because of his easy-going nature – earning him the nickname “The Big Easy” – and his effortless style and ability. That ability, along with hard work, has seen Els secure three major championships, the US Open in 1994 and 1997, and the British Open in 2002. He has also won the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City twice and in 2001 secured the World Cup of Golf with Retief Goosen. It was his second World Cup of Golf victory because he and Wayne Westner previously won by a record setting margin at Erinvale in 1996. Besides his major titles, Els has recorded 11 wins on the European PGA Tour and seven wins in the USA. However, his run of success began when he was far younger; Els’ first big win came in the world under-14 championship when, playing off a scratch handicap, he defeated world top-10 ranked Phil Mickelson in the final.
Retief Goosen (South Africa)
Quietly-spoken
Retief Goosen enjoyed the finest year of his golf career in 2001, winning the US Open to join Gary Player and Ernie Els as South African winners of the major, whilst also recording wins on the European PGA Tour at the Scottish and Madrid Opens. His consistently high level of play garnered Goosen his first ever European Order of Merit title. To top it all off he then teamed up with Els to win the World Cup of Golf for South Africa, defeating amongst others the dream American duo of Tiger Woods and David Duval. In 2002, with only one event left on the European Tour, Goosen tops the Order of Merit standings as he attempts to successfully defend the prestigious title he won in 2001.
Gary Player (South Africa)
South Africa’s Sportsman of the Century, Gary Player is one of the all-time golfing greats and also the most travelled sportsman in the history of the world. The winner of nine majors, Player is one of only four players to have won golf’s coveted Grand Slam. His
feats include winning the British Open in three different decades, with successes in 1959, 1968 and 1974. His last major success was in 1978 when he won the US Masters. After moving on to the very popular Senior PGA Tour Player went on to capture the Senior PGA Grand Slam. In total he has claimed 163 titles around the world. Player is today a sought after golf course designer and one of his best known courses is that at Sun City where the Nedbank Challenge is held annually.
Nick Price (Zimbabwe)
Nick Price proves that nice guys don’t finish last; The Zimbabwean golf star is a former world number one and has three major victories to his credit. Born in Durban, Price has enjoyed tremendous success on the extremely tough US PGA Tour, winning 17 tournaments, including the Mastercard Colonial in 2002. This year (2002) Price received two awards that clearly show just what a great guy he is: He won the ASAP Sports/Jim Murray Award which is given to a professional player
for his co-operation, quotability and accommodation to the media, and for reflecting the most positive aspects of the working relationship between athlete and journalist, and he was also awarded the US PGA Tour’s Payne Stewart Award that is given to a player who shares the late Stewart’s respect for golf’s traditions, commitment to uphold the game’s heritage and charitable support in word and deed. Price is recognised for his willingness to give his time to fans. A fan favourite at the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City, Price has won the event three times.
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South Africa's Sportsman of the Century, Gary Player is one of four golf ambassadors, all of whom have won at least one major |
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