Ernie is proud to be an Honorary Member and the first ever International Ambassador of the Asian Tour.
“It is a great honour for me to receive an Honorary Membership from the Asian Tour,” said Ernie, as he received his tour badge in July 2013 from Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han (pictured above). “This is absolutely wonderful. I’ve played in Asia for many, many years and won a few events there. For them to do this and for me to be their International Ambassador as well, is something that I will take seriously.”
Ernie also spoke of the changes he has seen on the Asian Tour in his 20-plus years visiting the region. “The growth of the game here has been incredible and that’s reflected now in the number of quality young players coming through and winning tournaments,” said Ernie.
“And who knows where the Asian Tour will be in 10 years’ time? I can only see it growing. It’s just an amazing part of the world. Golf is so spectacular over there for the people; they are so excited about it. Golf courses are going up all over the place and, in fact, at Ernie Els Design we’re designing several courses in Southeast Asia. It just keeps growing. It’s such a big part of the world with a huge population. Golf is one of the really growing markets in Asia.”
Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han said the Tour and the players were excited to welcome the South African star into the Asian golf family. Han said: “We are extremely honoured and privileged that Ernie has agreed to become an Honorary Member and our first International Ambassador of the Asian Tour. Ernie is truly one of golf’s most famous stars and is widely respected globally for his achievements in the game and also contribution to various community and social projects that he is involved in.
“Through this wonderful partnership, we are delighted to officially welcome Ernie into the Asian Tour family. His views on the development of golf are widely respected and we look forward to his continued input and contribution to this great game and also on the Asian Tour. In 2013 the Asian Tour celebrated its 10th season as a players’ organisation and with this positive development with Ernie, we look forward to 10 more successful seasons.”
