AUTISM ADVOCACY
Professional Golfer a Game
Changer for Autism Community
AUTISM WARRIOR:
Ernie Els,
South African professional
golfer, founder of the Els
for Autism Foundation,
along with Liezl Els and
Marvin R. Shanken
spectrum and provided six mil-
lion dollars in seed money for
the Els Center of Excellence. Fast
forward to 2016, the foundation
provided services for 3,647 indi-
viduals with ASD and their fam-
ilies from 13 countries, focusing
on education, global outreach,
therapy, research, recreation, and
adult services.
LOCATION: Jupiter, Florida
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Ernie Els
has 70 professional career victo-
ries to his name, including four
Major Championships, two World
Golf Championships, and a record
seven World Match Play titles. Off
the golf course, he has received
many awards for his charitable
endeavors:
Charlie Bartlett Award by the
Golf Writers Association of
America
• Jefferson Award, essentially a
Nobel Prize for Public Service,
for outstanding athlete in ser-
vice
• Named one of the “Top Five
Most Positive Athletes in the
World” by the United Nations
NGO Voting Academy
• Golf Foundation Spirit of Golf
Award for his achievements as
a player, for his contribution to
golf and commitment to young
people in golf and education
• Metropolitan Golf Writers Asso-
ciation (MGWA) Winnie Palmer
•
Award for his foundation work
on behalf of autism (The MGWA
had previously conferred on
Ernie its prestigious Gold Tee
Award)
• Eighth recipient of the Den-
ver-based Nicholson Award for
“a lifetime commitment and
dedication to the game of golf”
• Payne Stewart Award in 2015
• Inducted into the World Golf
Hall of Fame—2011 Class
One of his accomplishments ad-
mired most by golf fans and par-
ents alike is the establishment of
the Els for Autism Foundation in
2009, along with his wife, Liezl Els
and Ma