We’ve just played the final event of the 2020-21 Champions Tour schedule, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, and actually that’ll be my last tournament until January, so this seems like an ideal time to post a report.
As everyone knows, this season on the Champions Tour turned into something of a marathon that effectively lasted almost two years. But in the end, the race to win the Charles Schwab Cup came down to the last few tournaments, with four us in the mix for the top spot. Obviously, big congrats to Bernhard Langer for getting it done and winning his sixth Charles Schwab Cup at the age of 64. His work ethic, scoring, and his longevity is an inspiration to golfers everywhere, whatever your age or ability.
For me personally, the debut season of my Champions Tour career had quite a few highs, not least the two victories in 2020. It was a nice buzz to win again. Going winless in 2021 was a little frustrating, though. There were plenty of top-10s, and a lot of good golf in stretches, but honestly these past six months it never quite felt like I was consistently on top of my game. And as we’ve seen, the competition on the Champions Tour is pretty sharp. You’ve definitely got to be on your game to get the wins.
All in all, though, I’ve really enjoyed the experience out here…perhaps even more than anticipated. It’s fun competing against and hanging out with a lot of my old buddies from way back. The camaraderie is as strong as the competition. As you can imagine, I’m looking forward to going at it again when the new season starts in January at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship. Hawaii is always a good place to get back to work!
For now, though, it’s a proper break and some quality home-time with the family. We’ll play some social golf here in Florida. And there are a few sponsors’ engagements to be done, including an upcoming shoot for a new commercial with XXIO. But looking at it now, the diary is mostly empty. That’s good.
As always, though, there’s lots going on away from the tournament scene. A particular highlight was last month’s Els For Autism Grand Finale Tournament and Gala held at PGA National Resort and The Pelican Club (pictured below). Our family of top fundraisers, golfers and partners gathered to celebrate over $3 million raised…what a year! Special thanks also to my friends at SAP for their continued support. To learn more about current happenings at Els for Autism, and for updates about the 2022 Golf Challenge Series, follow @ElsForAutism on Twitter and @els_for_autism on Instagram.
Also, a quick reminder that our team in South Africa has published the Els for Autism Golf Series tournament schedule for 2022 (pictured at the bottom of this page). My old friend, and series organiser Nico van Rensburg, has put together another impressive schedule at some of South Africa’s finest courses. Thank you to our sponsors, our host venues, and of course to everyone who takes part. If you’d like to get involved, drop us an email: southafrica@elsforautism.org. They’re terrific days, beautifully organised with lots of prizes up for grabs. And it raises funds for kids and families who need our help.
Talking of South Africa, we’ll be missing out on our usual family vacation this year. But if you are lucky enough to be in my homeland at this lovely time of the year, then you might be interested to hear what’s going on at Ernie Els Wines. You can visit the winery for wine tastings, including cheese and charcuterie platters. You can join us for guided tours of the cellars or the trophy room, where we keep a lot of my trophies and awards.
There’s also the restaurant (pictured above) with its terrace and stunning views of the Stellenbosch countryside; just click here to take a look at the newly launched summer menu. And, of course, you can buy our wines in the winery’s shop. For any of these activities, telephone 021 881 3588 or email at bookings@ernieelswines.com.
Right, let’s leave it there for now. You can follow me on any of my social media channels (see links at the bottom of this page) for all the latest news.