It develops and delivers programs to serve a range of needs for children and adults alike. And it's a change of life, a change of priorities. The Els’ have seen their son directly benefit from the full range of offerings.“Before we moved to Florida,” recalls Liezl Els, “we had to drag Ben out of bed to go to school.
The quest to understand and help those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”) is a personal one for Els and his wife, Liezl. When I work on my swing...I'm looking for feels. He finished 4th at the Els is also responsible for the refinement and modernisation of the West Course, Wentworth-Virginia Water, England, which took place in 2006.
It has the objective of identifying youths from under-privileged backgrounds who show talent and potential in the game of golf. Team sports present a particular challenge for those with ASD due to the social and communication skills required to play most games.
I get all kinds of people telling me I have the best swing in the world—it's beautiful, it's effortless. Before the age of 17, Ernie Els had already won the Junior World Golf Championship in the Boys 13–14 category and the South African Amateur Championship.
I don't get caught up in swing positions and mechanics.
At that time, they had yet to understand the practical value that Els’ career as a professional golfer could have on the health and well-being of their son and others like him.
This has caused some friction with the The Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation was established in 1999. The personal experience inspired the family to establish the ASD is a developmental disability characterized by significant social, communication and behavioral challenges for those diagnosed with the disorder. Common traits include repetitive behaviors, different ways of learning and a strong reliance on daily routines.“We are private people but also very much in the public eye,” explains Liezl Els, “and we recognized that starting our own Foundation would give us a platform to help raise funds and awareness around the world.”As a 501(c)3 charitable organization, the Foundation’s mission is to be a global resource for people diagnosed with ASD.
Headquartered in Jupiter, Florida, the Foundation also serves as home to the Els Center for Excellence. This ability to implement outreach programs remotely has proven invaluable during the current Covid-19 pandemic which has forced the Center’s closure. Els won his first professional tournament in 1991 on the Southern Africa Tour (today the Els brought his game all around the world in his young career winning the 1997 was a career year for Els first winning his second U.S. Open (once again over Colin Montgomerie) this time at 2000 started with Els being given a special honour by the Board of Directors of the 2002 was arguably Els's best year, which started with a win at the Heineken Classic at the 2004 was another successful year as Els won 6 times on both tours, including big wins at Memorial, 2004 was the start of the "Big Five Era", which is used in describing the era in golf where In July 2005, Els injured his left knee while sailing with his family in the Mediterranean. Els for Autism thus aims to provide families across the globe with best practice interventions and support. While it affects 1 in 59 children in the U.S., no two kids are affected in precisely the same way. At that time, they had yet to understand the practical value that Els’ career as a professional golfer could have on the health and well-being of their son and others like him. Golf, in particular, has many aspects to the game - repetitive motions and attention to detail – that can be calming for those with ASD.“We have found that golf, as an individual sport, is a great tool for teaching impulse control, following instructions, communication and socialization,” explains Els.
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You've got to be ready for it. Ernie and Liezi have two children, Samantha Leigh Els and Ben Neels Els.
I never knew about it, never thought about it, until it's in your lap.QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match playThese figures are from the respective tour's official sites. “These are all areas of deficit for individuals with ASD”, he adds.Golf is also a great way to get people with ASD outside, engaging in physical activity and practicing skills that most of us take for granted.
Just when I was getting my handicap up there, I had to go and not only shoot just my second round under 80 since November, but better my age by six shots with a 71. You'll get better results—and often more distance—if you swing at eighty percent effort. Els explains further: “#GameON Autism Golf is designed to build self-esteem and confidence in a fun, welcoming and supportive environment; encouraging participants to learn golf skills while practicing specific autism learning concepts in each golf session.” Developing comfort with basic skills such as making eye contact or taking instruction from different people while playing golf can help those with ASD to practice and absorb these necessary life skills and hopefully integrate them into their daily lives.Els’ commitment to the Els for Autism Foundation and the importance of supporting initiatives that he cares about is one of the elements that drew him to a partnership with Clif Bar. The programming has been able to continue to serve the community during these challenging times.“Using teleconferencing technology, Ben’s chorus group has been able to continue their rehearsals online,” explains Liezl Els, “and he loves seeing his music teacher and friends even while we are all social distancing.”Another of the programs the Center offers is the Ernie Els #GameON Autism™ Golf Program, which is clearly inspired by Els’ love of the game. On December 31, 1998, he married Liezl Wehmeyer in Cape Town. Their son, Ben, was diagnosed with ASD at age 5.
But seriously, it was a great day for golf and for raising needed money for the incredible work that my friends Ernie and Liezl Els do to bring attention and support for the estimated 1 in 68 children in the U.S. with autism. The skilled golfer began to exhibit a … The first Friendship Cup was played in 2006 which is a Els has also participated several times in the Gary Player Invitational series of charity golf events, to assist Player raise significant funds for underprivileged children around the world. And it's happening more often.