Ernie Els was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was 32 years old when he won the 131st edition of the British Open.

Els is 6’3″ tall. On October 17, 2020, he turned 51.

2002 British Open

sport: golf tournament: The Open Championship (British Open)

edition: 131st venue: Muirfield Golf Links, Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom  dates: July 18-21, 2002

Final Round

RANK	GOLFER (COUNTRY)	SCORE
T1	Ernie Els (South Africa)	70-66-72-70=278
T1	Thomas Levet (France)	72-66-74-66=278
T1	Stuart Appleby (Australia)	73-70-70-65=278
T1	Steve Elkington (Australia)	71-73-68-66=278
T5	Gary Evans (England)	72-68-74-65=279
T5	Padraig Harrington (Ireland)	69-67-76-67=279
T5	Shigeki Maruyama (Japan)	68-68-75-68=279
T8	Thomas Bjørn (Denmark)	68-70-73-69=280
T8	Sergio Garcia (Spain)	71-69-71-69=280
T8	Retief Goosen (Finland)	71-68-74-67=280
T8	Søren Hansen (Denmark)	68-69-73-70=280
T8	Scott Hoch (USA)	74-69-71-66=280
T8	Peter O’Malley (Australia)	72-68-75-65=280

Playoffs

Four-hole

RANK	GOLFER (COUNTRY)	SCORE
T1	Ernie Els (South Africa)	4-3-5-4=16
T1	Thomas Levet (France)	4-2-5-5=16
T2	Stuart Appleby (Australia)	4-4-4-5=17
T2	Steve Elkington (Australia)	5-3-4-5=17

Sudden-death

RANK	GOLFER (COUNTRY)	SCORE
1	Ernie Els (South Africa)	4
2	Thomas Levet (France)	5

The 2002 Open Championship remains one of the most dramatic and competitive major championships in golf history. The tournament culminated in a thrilling four-man playoff, ultimately crowning South Africa’s Ernie Els as the “Champion Golfer of the Year.”

Entering the final round, Els held a slim two-stroke lead. While he initially extended his advantage on the front nine and seemed to be cruising toward victory, the capricious winds of Muirfield—a classic links course that demands precision and creativity—transformed the back nine into a grueling test of nerves. The pressure intensified at the 16th hole, where Els carded a costly double-bogey. This critical lapse allowed a pack of elite contenders to surge forward. By the end of regulation play, Els, Thomas Levet, Stuart Appleby, and Steve Elkington were deadlocked at 6-under-par, forcing the first-ever four-way playoff in Open history.

The playoff began as a four-hole aggregate stroke-play contest over the 1st, 16th, 17th, and 18th holes. After the four holes, Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington fell just short, while Els and Frenchman Thomas Levet remained tied. This forced the duel into sudden-death on the par-4 18th. Under immense pressure, Levet found trouble off the tee and carded a bogey, while Els hit a spectacular recovery shot from a greenside bunker to save par and secure his first Claret Jug.

For Els, the victory was a profound validation of his skill and resilience. Known for his graceful, rhythmic swing—which earned him the moniker “The Big Easy”—Els had faced years of near-misses in major championships. The 2002 Open victory solidified his status as one of the preeminent golfers of his generation. It was a triumph that showcased his ability to navigate the mental and physical rigors of links golf, where the terrain is as much an opponent as the players themselves.