Ernie Els claimed a number of notable milestones with his victory in the 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes by claiming his fourth Major Championship title.
With this Win
• His 27th European Tour International Schedule victory in his 269th European Tour event.
• Moves to €1,674,725 in The Race to Dubai. The 11th time in his European Tour career he has passed €1 million in a single season.
• Moves to 15th of the Official World Golf Ranking from 40th.
• His first European Tour victory since the 2011 South African Open Championship (Dec 2010).
• His fourth Major Championship victory in his 79th Major Championship appearance.
• HIs first Major Championship victory since the 2002 Open Championship.
• Played in 37 Major Championships since his last win in the 2002 Open Championship.
• Has won the US Open Championship twice, 1994 and 1997 and The Open Championship twice, in 2002 and 2012.
• His second victory in The Open Championship in his 22nd appearance.
• Second consecutive top ten finish in a Major Championship, after a tie for ninth at the US Open Championship.
• His gap of ten years between wins is the second longest gap between victories in Open Championship history. Sir Henry Cotton holds the record with 11 years between 1937 to 1948.
• His 13th top ten finish in The Open Championship from his 22 appearances.
• Aged 42 years and 279 days becomes the second consecutive 42 year old to win The Open Championship, following Darren Clarke. (Clarke was 42 years 337 days).
OTHER FACTS
• His victory means that European Tour Members have won seven of the last ten Major Championships, dating back to Graeme McDowell at the 2010 US Open.
• The 16th consecutive Major Championship won by a different player. This sequence began with Padraig Harrington at the 2008 US PGA Championship.
• His six shot final round winning comeback is the largest in The Open Championship since Padraig Harrington in 2007.
• His six shot final round winning comeback is the largest in a Major Championship since Padraig Harrington at the 2007 Open Championship.
• His six shot final round winning comeback is the largest on The European Tour in 2012, beating the five of Jeev Milkha Singh at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
• The 44th Major Championship victory by a European Tour Member since Seve Ballesteros won The Open Championship in 1979.
• The third European Tour Member to win four or more Major titles, following Sir Nick Faldo (six) and Seve Ballesteros (five).
• Moves into joint second place in the list of most Majors won by South Africans. He would join Bobby Locke on four.
• This victory represents the 15th different European Tour season he has won in.
• This victory is the eighth for South Africa on The European Tour in 2012. They are: Louis Oosthuizen (Africa Open and Maybank Malaysian Open), Branden Grace (Joburg Open, Volvo Golf Champions and Volvo China Open) and Jbe’ Kruger (Avantha Masters) and Darren Fichardt (SAINT-OMER OPEN presented by Neuflize OBC) and Ernie Els (The 141th Open Championship). This is the most of any country so far this season.
• The 109th South African victory in European Tour history.
• HIs third European Tour victory over the age of 40, following the 2010 WGC – Cadillac Championship and 2011 South African Open Championship (Dec 2010).
• Now won over €28 million in European Tour Official Career Earnings.
• His 66th win as a professional worldwide.
• Gains a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2019 season.
• Gains a five year exemption into the Masters Tournament, US Open Championship and US PGA Championship.
• Gains a place in the 2012 Grand Slam of Golf, 2012 WGC – HSBC Champions and 2013 Volvo Golf Champions.
