Els and ASM open international doors for talented South Africans
Ernie Els understands exactly the value of international opportunity for a sportsman or woman.
And it’s why he’s proud of the fact that the international sports scholarship programme he helped launch in 2018 and remains a partner and has now grown to provide sports scholarships to top American colleges for almost 300 young South Africans.
Els was one of the founding partners of the ASM Sports Group in 2018, with Piet Pieters (who has 37 years of experience in the American sports market) and Chris Vidal (formerly a sports recruitment advisor to the International Olympic Committee, the World Golf Foundation and Team Great Britain).
Based in West Palm Beach in Florida, ASM has one very clear aim: to give talented young South African sportsmen and women opportunities to use their talent to gain a quality education in the American college system.
“I know exactly what international opportunities can mean and create for South African sportsmen and women,” said Els, as he reflected on the rapid success of the ASM Sports Group.
“I was fortunate early in my career to get the support I needed. In 1992, I won the South African Open. That got me into DP World Tour events and into The Open Championship, where I finished fifth that year.
“Two years later, I won my first major in the US Open.”
One of South Africa’s greatest sportsmen saw the value of this when he launched his Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation with a specific focus on providing underprivileged children with golf talent the opportunity to not only develop their game but also build a life through quality education.
For Els, the ASM Sports Group has taken this philosophy to the next level in all sports, as it’s providing college opportunities for 1 576 students from 104 countries, including 295 South Africans, in the sports of golf, soccer, tennis, rugby, hockey, swimming, rowing, water polo and gymnastics.
