Els helps SA golf to keep giving back
Ernie Els is one of a number of South African golfers who excel in giving back through the game of golf.
A near-death experience when Ernie Els was just starting his career certainly gave the four-time Major champion an appreciation for the value of life. And it’s perhaps no surprise that he’s since become one of golf’s most ardent supporters of charity.
Many of South Africa’s professional golfers play with a purpose in the sense of their support for various charities, from the Birdies for Rhinos campaign to the Sunshine Tour and its Vodacom Origins of Golf series of tournaments supporting Birdies for Babies, to Gary Player’s own prodigious efforts to raise funds for underprivileged children through his Gary Player Invitational series of tournaments.
Els has long been among the forerunners of those giving back through golf.
For the past 25 years, Els has been a strong supporter of the Sanlam Cancer Challenge and its bid to rally South Africa’s amateur golfers behind the cause of raising funds for the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa).
In recent years, this has extended to Els personally meeting with the winners of the Sanlam Cancer Challenge National Finals, sometimes playing a round of golf with them and then treating them to an Ernie Els Experience including a tour of his wine farm and a meal at his Big Easy Restaurant in Stellenbosch.
“It’s a pleasure to continue my association with this great event. Cancer has affected friends or family of nearly everyone you meet these days, and through the Sanlam Cancer Challenge and other projects that raise funds for cancer treatment and research, hopefully combating this disease can become a reality,” said Els.
This year’s Sanlam Cancer Challenge has already teed off with the nationwide club competitions. The National Final will be played at Sun City on October 9 to 10 on the Gary Player Country Club and Lost City Golf Club courses.
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