Ernie Els had a memorable Sunday, capturing his first senior major title at the 2024 Kaulig Companies Championship with a one-stroke win over Y.E. Yang at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. This victory marked Els’ third win of the 2024 season in his 13th start and also earned him a spot in the 2025 Players Championship on the PGA Tour.
Reflecting on his win, Els mentioned, “I’ve been watching my fellow players have a lot of success, like Steve (Stricker) and Bernhard (Langer) and many other players, Freddie Couples. I mean, most of my peers have had more wins than me since I’ve joined here at the Champions Tour, so I really felt I needed to up my game a bit.”
Els, who was recently named Golfweek’s Father of the Year, becomes the first three-time winner of the 2024 season on PGA Tour Champions and now leads the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
He secured the victory with a 2-under 68 on Sunday, claiming a prize of $525,000. Yang, who shot 66 on Sunday, earned $308,000 for his effort. Jerry Kelly finished solo third, while K.J. Choi and Steve Stricker tied for fourth place.
Despite his win, Els will be heading to the Open Championship next week. Reflecting on the missed celebration, Els jokingly said, “It’s a pity I have to fly tonight, it could have been a big bar tab this evening at the Firestone Country Club. I would have been buying a lot of beers, but we’ll have to wait for another time.”
