Insider: Nationwide Tour important part of Els' career

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Before Ernie Els was an international star he was like a lot of golfers who need a place to play to refine their talents. So like many others, Els turned to the Nationwide Tour.

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The 41-year-old World Golf Hall of Fame member will be competing at the British Open this week at Royal St. George's in Sandwich, England. However, earlier this year he reflected on his short time he spent on the Nationwide Tour.

After turning pro in 1989 and venturing from South Africa, he found himself on the Nationwide Tour in 1991 where he played in eight tournaments. Back then it was called the Ben Hogan Tour. Els remembers seeing a lot of the United States that summer and learning how to manage his game.

"I was like a lot of guys out there -- discovering the best way to get from one place to another and how best to prepare for tournaments," said Els, who didn't set the world on fire that summer but did enough to make five of eight cuts. "I was learning the game under different conditions and courses."

In 1991, long before he become one of the most consistent players of his era, Els had one top-10 finish as he tied for ninth in the Ben Hogan Tulsa Open. He won just $6,143 during his short time on the Tour, but he remembers what it meant later in his career.

"You get to see the other side of America and that's what I really enjoyed," Els said. "There are some great places out there all over the country which the (PGA TOUR) never goes to, but I certainly wish they would."

After his season on the Nationwide Tour, he began to make a splash all around the globe. Els has 18 PGA TOUR wins with his first one coming in the 1994 U.S. Open. He also won the 1997 U.S. Open and the 2002 British Open while establishing himself as an elite player.

Els also has 46 international victories, and has amassed more than $40 million in earnings to rank sixth all-time. He has had more than 60 career wins around the world having won in Africa, Europe, Asia, Australasia and the United States.

Not only has Els done his best work on the course, he's also taking on Autism with his foundation, which he and his wife, Liezl, founded in 2009. Their son, Ben, has been diagnosed with Autism. The foundation has simple goals: to raise awareness and raise money.

The Els for Autism Foundation hopes to raise funds for the Els Center of Excellence that will be based near West Palm Beach, Fla. Els has already contributed more than $6 million and earlier this month held a fundraiser for the center at the Wentworth Club.

It was just another in a long line of fundraisers toward the $30 million goal.

Els has certainly traveled a long way in his career since those humble beginnings on the Nationwide Tour. He says that it was part of the process, and he can see through the years just how important the Nationwide Tour has become to other players.

"The Nationwide Tour gives you a platform to play after your college or amateur career and it's played to a very high standard," Els said. "You travel to all different kinds of places and tend to bond more with other players than you do on the (PGA TOUR). That's because a lot of the time you are traveling together and staying in cheaper accommodations."

Els is still capable of adding to his legacy on and off the course. But he couldn't help but think back to his early days in the United States.

"I remember my time on the Nationwide Tour with a great deal of affection," Els said. "It really is a great way to prepare yourself as a player and person for what lies ahead."

John Dell has covered golf for the Winston-SalemJournal in North Carolinafor the last 18 years. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR. You can reach him at johndell@triad.rr.com.