🇺🇸

Tiger Woods

United States

15 Majors

VS
🇿🇦

Ernie Els

South Africa

4 Majors

Els was among the most talented players of his generation, but his career was forever shaped by competing in the Tiger Woods era.

Career Stats Comparison

Tiger Woods Category Ernie Els
15 Total Majors 4
5 Masters 0
3 U.S. Open 2
3 The Open 2
5 PGA Championship 0
82 PGA Tour Wins 19
683 World No. 1 Weeks 9
Yes Career Grand Slam No

Major Championships

Tiger Woods
15
Ernie Els
4

Masters

5 - 0

U.S. Open

3 - 2

The Open

3 - 2

PGA Championship

5 - 0

PGA Tour Victories

Tiger Woods
82
Ernie Els
19

Who Wins What

Woods: 7
Els: 0
Woods
Total Majors
Woods
Masters
Woods
U.S. Open
Woods
The Open
Woods
PGA Championship
Woods
PGA Tour Wins
Woods
World No. 1 Weeks

Key Head-to-Head Moments

2000 U.S. Open: Woods wins at Pebble Beach by a record 15 strokes. Els finishes second but is effectively in a different tournament, encapsulating Tiger's dominance.
2002 Open Championship: Els wins the Claret Jug at Muirfield in a playoff, one of the few times he prevailed with Woods in the field at a major.
2003 Presidents Cup: Woods and Els trade blows in a dramatic singles match that ends all square, symbolic of their mutual respect and competitive fire.
2004 WGC-American Express: Els edges Woods by one shot at Mount Juliet, proving he could go toe-to-toe with Tiger at his peak.
The What-If Factor: Els won four majors but many believe his total would have been higher without Woods. He finished second six times at majors, often with Tiger ahead.

More Head-to-Head Matchups

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