Els honored with Bartlett Award for charity service

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HOUSTON -- Three-time major champion Ernie Els, whose commitment to charitable giving began in 1999 and is embodied in his youth foundation in South Africa, the Els for Autism Foundation and the Els Center for Excellence, has been honored with the Golf Writers Association of America's Charlie Bartlett Award.

The 40-year-old Els has been a passionate advocate for autism since his son Ben, now 7, was diagnosed four years ago. He and wife Liezl founded the Els Autism Foundation in 2009 and are now undertaking a capital campaign to raise $30 million for the Center for Excellence. The center will be the first of its kind in the world, combining cutting-edge education, therapy and research for children in the autism spectrum.

The campus will have a global outreach through its digital learning program which will allow professionals and those families with ASD around the world to access the Center.

The award, named for the first secretary of the GWAA, is given to a professional golfer for his/her unselfish contributions to the betterment of society. Els will be honored at the GWAA Annual Awards Dinner April 7 in Augusta, Ga.

Els has said, "The mark of a true man is not what he takes in life, but what he gives back."

He began his work in his native South Africa in 1999 with the Els Foundation which assists young golfers from families of limited resources with education and playing opportunities. The foundation joined forces with the Fancourt Foundation in 2006.

Since Ben's diagnosis at the age of 3, Els has provided awareness for the developmental disorder. In a current public service announcement, he notes the odds of winning the U.S. Open twice, which he did, are 1 in 1.2 billion. The odds of being diagnosed with autism is 1 in 110.

The Center, which will be in Palm Beach County, Fla., will also offer a services program to help students transition to college and adult life.

Els follows Tiger Woods (2007), Greg Norman (2008) and Jack Nicklaus (2009) as recent recipients. Former GWAA President and chairman of the Bartlett committee Tim Rosaforte said Els "epitomizes the spirit of the award" and the work being done by professional golfers toward the betterment of society.

Other former Bartlett winners include the Louisiana trio of Hal Sutton, David Toms and Kelly Gibson, Val Skinner, Betsy King, Tom Watson, Payne Stewart, Tom Lehman, Arnold Palmer, Kenny Perry, Brad Faxon and Billy Andrade, Patty Berg and Andy North.

The GWAA will also honor Players of Year Tiger Woods, Jiyai Shin and Loren Roberts, Ben Hogan Award winners Ken Green and Tom Watson, Jim Murray/ASAP Award winner Padraig Harrington and Pete Dye, winner of the William D. Richardson Award, at the dinner.

The 940-member professional organization takes an active role in protecting the interests of all golf journalists, works closely with all of golf's major governing bodies and the World Golf Hall of Fame and facilitates a scholarship/internship program which is currently helping students at six major U.S. universities.