Els to become player host of SA open

Source: supersport.com

The Sunshine Tour
announced that South
Africa's most
successful golfer of
the past three
decades Ernie Els will
take on the role of host
and ambassador for
the South African
Open Championship,
starting with the 104th SA Open in January 2015 at
Glendower Golf Club in Ekurhuleni.
In addition to the SA Golf Development Board’s
Chapter in Ekurhuleni, Els' two charities, Els for
Autism and the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation will
become the beneficiary charities of the tournament.
Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine
Tour said, "We are very excited that Ernie has
accepted the role, which we are sure will go a long
way to re-establishing golf's second-oldest national
championship as one of the world's flagship events.
"Ernie's commitment to the Sunshine Tour has been
unwavering throughout his stellar career and we
are very grateful that he has reaffirmed this
commitment to professional golf in South Africa by
helping us to grow our national Open."
From his US base in Florida, Els said, "I am very
honoured to have been offered this role and
accepted without hesitation as the South African
Open Championship is a tournament with incredible
history and has featured strongly throughout my
career. I look forward to working together with the
Sunshine Tour to achieve our shared vision of
growing the SA Open, so that it can once again take
its rightful place among the most prestigious
tournaments in world golf.
"Whatever successes South African golfers have
enjoyed around the world, none of us forgets the
incredible start we had in our careers by having
tournaments like the SA Open to play in on the
Sunshine Tour.
It is therefore imperative that we do our best to
ensure that South Africa's flagship events are
sustainable for generations to come and I am
delighted to be able to give my full support to
achieving this. I have no doubt that my fellow
countrymen who play on the European and PGA
Tours feel the same way and I look forward to them
joining me in working towards these goals."
Cllr Mondli Gungubele, Mayor of Ekurhuleni where
Els spent his formative years as a young golfing
phenom, added, "As the host sponsor of the 104th
South African Open Championship, we are delighted
that one of Ekurhuleni's most famous sons has
agreed to take on this role and we look forward to
welcoming him back once again to the City of
Ekurhuleni."