Ernie Els, at 13-under-par, is only 2-strokes behind 54-hole leader Billy Hurley III at the Quicken Loans National as we head into Sunday’s final round.
Els is a 4-time major winner, but he’s also becoming famous for other aspects of his life.
Here are four interesting things about the man they call the Big Easy.
1. He is a Golf Course Designer
Els is turning into quite the prodigious golf course designer. According to his official website, “Ernie Els Design is a full-service golf course design company wholly owned by its principal, four-time major champion and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Ernie Els.” In total the site lists 11 courses stamped with his name, with another 11 in development.
2. He Owns A Winery
On his website the winery is described as being the brainchild of Ernie Els himself, and not some branding deal. It states that in 1999, Els “decided to pursue his developing passion for fine wine with the creation of Ernie Els Wines.” The wine portfolio consists of 4 blends: The Signature Blend, The Proprietor’s Blend, The House Blend, and the Big Easy Blend.
3. There’s An (Ernie Els) App For That
After you golf his course, and drink a couple of glasses of his wine, it’s time to fire up the Ernie Els app and “improve your game from the tee to the green with the OFFICIAL golf training app” from the Big Easy.
4. The Famed 6 Putt
If you ask the man on street who Ernie Els is, they will probably say, ‘the golfer in the funny GIF,’ and not the 4 time major winner. Els blew up the Internet, following his 6-putt at Augusta. It created memes and GIFs galore.