RYE BROOK, N.Y. (June 19, 2007) - Ernie Els, winner of 15 PGA Tour events, was recognized for his outstanding career achievements by the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association at the 56th National Awards Dinner on Monday, June 18, 2007, at the Hilton Rye Town in Rye Brook, New York. Els received the Gold Tee Award, the MGWA’s highest honor, the day after the U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa., site of Els’ first U.S. Open title in 1994. Els later added two more major championships to his résumé, the 1997 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club and the 2002 British Open at Muirfield.

The affable South African, whose silky smooth swing earned him “the Big Easy” nickname, was a PGA Tour rookie when he won the U.S. Open in 1994. Els, who has competed in 14 U.S. Opens, has finished in the top 10 seven times, including his two victories. In July 2005 Els suffered a season-ending knee injury and in 2006 fought his way back to register eight top-10 finishes. Els is currently ranked fifth in the Official World Golf Rankings. He has maintained a spot in the top 10 for 655 consecutive weeks, more than any other golfer since the ranking system began in the mid-1980s. Els is a member of four Presidents Cup teams and counts 47 international titles in his worldwide tournament campaign.

Els joins an elite club of distinguished individuals who have received the Gold Tee Award that includes Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Patty Berg, Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam, Bob Hope and Gerald R. Ford.

Other award honorees included: Bernadette Castro (Distinguished Service Award); Al Barkow(Linc Werden Golf Journalism Award); Salesmanship Club of Dallas (Bing Crosby Tournament Sponsor Award); Piping Rock Club (Club of the Year); Val Skinner (Winnie Palmer Award); the Gallagher family (Family of the Year); Pat Browne Jr. (Mary Bea Porter Award).

The MGWA’s National Awards Dinner is the largest and longest running golf dinner held annually in the United States. All of golf’s governing bodies - the USGA, PGA of America, PGA Tour, Champions Tour and LPGA Tour - actively support the dinner and some 800 industry leaders and local golfers attend. Proceeds from the dinner are distributed to Metropolitan area caddie scholarship programs and the Metropolitan Golf Association Foundation. More than $850,000 has been raised over the years for charitable endeavors.