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ELMSFORD, N.Y. --- Ernie Els, winner of 15 PGA TOUR events, three majors and 44 international titles, will be recognized for his outstanding career achievements by the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association at their 56th National Awards dinner on Monday, June 18 at the Hilton Rye Town in Rye Brook, N.Y.

Els, who has two U.S. Open titles to his credit and a British Open victory, will receive the Gold Tee Award, the MGWA's highest honor, the day after this year's U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club. Oakmont was the scene of Els' first major in 1994 when he outlasted Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie in an 18-hole playoff.

The affable South African whose silky smooth swing earned him the "Big Easy" nickname was a PGA TOUR rookie when he won the U.S. Open in 1994. Els, who has competed in 14 U.S. Opens, has finished in the top 10 seven times and captured his second U.S. Open title in 1997. In July, 2005 Els suffered a season-ending knee injury and in 2006 fought his way back to register eight top-10 finishes. Els currently is ranked fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking. He also is a veteran member of four Presidents Cup teams.

Els joins an elite club of distinguished individuals who have received the Gold Tee Award that includes Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Patty Berg, Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam, Bob Hope and Gerald R. Ford.

The MGWA's National Awards Dinner is the largest (and longest running) golf dinner held annually in the U.S. All of golf's governing bodies actively support the dinner -- the USGA, PGA of America, LPGA, PGA TOUR and Champions Tour -- and some 800 industry leaders and local golfers attend. Proceeds from the dinner are distributed to the Metropolitan (New York) area caddie scholarship programs and the MGA Foundation. More than $850,000 has been raised over the years for charitable endeavors.

For advance table and ticket sales reservations or additional information, please contact Ann Rold at (914) 347-4653.

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