Press Release Details
Ernie Els Voted July PGA TOUR Player of the Month Presented by Avis
PARSIPPANY, N.J. and PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., Aug. 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PGA TOUR and Avis Car Rental announced today that Ernie Els has been voted the July PGA TOUR Player of the Month presented by Avis. As the official rental car company of the PGA TOUR, Avis will make a $50,000 contribution to the Els for Autism Foundation.
In a fan decision on PGATOUR.COM, Els received 51 percent of the votes and outpolled Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson and Scott Piercy. The four were nominated by a panel of national media for their performances during the month of July. Els was also voted the PGA TOUR Player of the Month presented by Avis for the month of June on the strength of his victory at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide.
During the month of July, Els captured his fourth major championship of his career, coming back from six strokes back of Adam Scott in the final round to win the British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes. With his 19th PGA TOUR victory, Els moved into the top 10 in the FedExCup standings. Els missed the cut in his other start at the RBC Canadian Open.
"We applaud Ernie's extra effort and congratulate him on his amazing comeback win at the British Open," said Jeannine Haas, chief marketing officer, Avis Budget Group. "With fan support, we are pleased to donate $50,000 to the Els for Autism Foundation in Ernie's name."
"July was a memorable month, and I appreciate the fans that voted for me as PGA TOUR Player of the Month," said Els. "I would like to thank Avis for their support of the Els for Autism Foundation, as we continue to work on a cause that is very personal to my family and affects families around the world."
The Els for Autism Foundation was established in 2009 by Ernie and Liezl Els to focus on the issue of autism. The Els son Ben is severely touched by the disorder which affects 1 in 88 children in the U.S. For the last three years the world class pro golfer and his wife have devoted their efforts to a catalytic philanthropic project — The Els Center of Excellence. The first of its kind Center will focus on a digital e-learning platform that gives children on the spectrum around the world access to best practices in education and therapy. It will also help connect the international autism community with best practices and the very latest information and research. The 26 acre facility will also have an on-site education for 300 students ages 3-21, medical and professional services, research, transition to adulthood, adult living and on-site job training. The Foundation has launched a capital campaign to raise $30 million to finance the facility; the Els' have committed $6 million of their own money.
For more information or to vote for the PGA TOUR Player of the Month presented by Avis, visit www.pgatour.com.
About Avis
Avis Car Rental operates one of the world's best-known car rental brands with approximately 5,200 locations in more than 165 countries. Avis has a long history of innovation in the car rental industry and is one of the world's top brands for customer loyalty. Avis is owned by Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:CAR), which operates and licenses the brand throughout the world. For more information, visit www.avis.com.
The Avis Car Rental logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=11593
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. The mission of the PGA TOUR is to expand domestically and internationally to substantially increase player financial benefits while maintaining its commitment to the integrity of the game. The PGA TOUR events are also committed to generating revenue for charitable causes in their communities. For more information, visit www.pgatour.com.
The PGA Tour Logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=11954
CONTACT: Alice Pereira
Avis Car Rental
973.496.6113
alice.pereira@avisbudget.com
Joel Schuchmann
PGA TOUR
904.280.4707
joelschuchmann@pgatourhq.com