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Ernie claimed victory in the first tournament of the 2025 PGA Champions Tour season, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai GC in Hawaii, shooting an impressive 18-under par three-round aggregate. It was his seventh Champions Tour win and it brings his tally of professional career wins to 80. It was also his fifth win on Hawaiian soil, having previously won the 2003 Sentry, 2003 & 2004 Sony Open and 1997 PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

Speaking after the trophy presentation, Ernie commented…

“It was so great to be back in Hawaii again. I’ve been coming here for almost 30 years; it’s the perfect place to start the new season. It’s like paradise. And obviously it’s very special to get the win and to have Liezl with me this week, too. I’ve been trying to get my hands on that trophy for five years now. What a battle it was. Getting it done under the gun is always very satisfying. It was a very tight race all day, all week really. I had to make some clutch putts. Even if you don’t believe in yourself as much, days like this when you make those putts like you used to, it gives you hope again.”

Ernie was feeling fresh off the back of his customary off-season family vacation back home in South Africa. 

“I played a lot of social golf in South Africa in the off-season,” he added, “so my game felt in pretty good shape coming in. We didn’t need to shake off too much rust when we got here. As I’ve said on many occasions in the past few years, I’m really enjoying my time out here on the Champions Tour. Really looking forward to another great season ahead…and yeah, couldn’t ask for a better start. Thank you to everyone at MEC, this is always such an enjoyable week, like a holiday and a golf tournament rolled into one!”

Ernie next tees it up in the Trophy Hassan II at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Morocco at the beginning of February.