Who is Samantha Els? All you need to know about golf legend Ernie Els' daughter
Samantha Els, daughter of legendary South African golfer Ernie Els, made her debut for the Springboks Women's Rugby Team in its WXV2 warm-up match against San Clemente Rhinos at False Bay Rugby Club in Cape Town on Tuesday, September 19.
Samantha was given the No. 5 jersey in her favorite lock position. Her debut ended on a happy note as the South African team beat the US, 22-17.
Proud dad Ernie Els celebrated his daughter's debut in South Africa and penned a heartfelt note on Instagram. He wrote:
"We’re so proud of your journey and now you’re the first in the family to wear the Springboks colours. Live every day, a dream for Samantha."
Born on May 26, 1999, Samantha is the first child of Ernie Els and his wife Liezl. Although she has caddied for her father several times, she started taking an interest in rugby.
Samantha made her international debut last year when she played for the USA U-23 team.
Samantha has completed her graduation in Human Biology at Stanford University, Tiger Woods' alma mater. During her time at Stanford, she was co-captain of the university’s women’s rugby team.
Samantha is also a founding member of the Elst for Autism Foundation, which was launched in 2014 because her younger brother Ben has autism.
Samantha's current club is the New York Rugby Club and was one of the four overseas trades of Springboks Women alongside Babalwa Latsha (Harlequins Women), Catha Jacobs (Leicester Women), and Amber Schonert (Sale Sharks Women).
How many professional titles has Ernie Els won?
The 53-year-old South African golfer has won 75 professional titles, including 19 PGA Tour titles, 28 European Tour titles, and 18 on the Sunshine Tour. He won four majors (two US Open and two Open Championships).
Here are the Major championships, PGA Tour, European Tour, and Sunshine Tour wins of Ernie Els:
Majors
- US Open: 1994, 1997
- Open Championship: 2002, 2012
PGA Tour
1995:
- GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic
1996:
- Buick Classic
1997:
- Buick Classic (2)
1998:
- Bay Hill Invitational
1999:
- Nissan Open
2000:
- The International
2002:
- Genuity Championship
2003:
- Mercedes Championships
- The Sony Open in Hawaii
2004:
- Sony Open in Hawaii (2)
- Memorial Tournament
- WGC-American Express Championship
2008:
- The Honda Classic
2010:
- WGC-CA Championship (2)
- Arnold Palmer Invitational (2)
European Tour
1994:
- Dubai Desert Classic
1995:
- Lexington South African PGA Championship
1997:
- Johnnie Walker Classic
1998:
- South African Open
1999:
- Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship (2)
2000:
- Standard Life Loch Lomond
2002:
- Heineken Classic
- Dubai Desert Classic (2)
2003:
- Heineken Classic (2)
- Johnnie Walker Classic (2)
- Barclays Scottish Open (2)
- Omega European Masters
2004:
- Heineken Classic (3)
- WGC-American Express Championship
- HSBC World Match Play Championship
2005:
- Dubai Desert Classic (3)
- Qatar Masters
- BMW Asian Open
2006:
- Dunhill Championship
2007:
- South African Airways Open (2)
- HSBC World Match Play Championship (2)
2010:
- WGC-CA Championship (2)
2011:
- South African Open Championship (3)
2013:
- BMW International Open
Sunshine Tour
1990:
- Spoornet SA Classic
- Highveld Classic
1991:
- Amatola Sun Classic
1992:
- Protea Assurance South African Open
- Lexington PGA Championship
- EVS South African Masters
- Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Classic
- FNB Players Championship
- Goodyear Classic
1995:
- Bell's Cup
- Lexington South African PGA Championship (2)
1996:
- Philips South African Open (2)
1998:
- South African Open (3)
1999:
- Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship (3)
2001:
- Vodacom Players Championship (2)
2005:
- Dunhill Championship
2006:
- South African Airways Open (4)
2010:
- South African Open Championship (5)