Four-time Major winner and 2019 Presidents Cup International team captain Ernie Els will headline the 2018 Fiji International to be played at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course from August 2-5.

Affectionately known as the ‘Big Easy’ due to his fluid golf swing, Els will be swinging easy on the course and taking it easy away from the course.

“I am delighted to be playing the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways. I have watched the TV coverage in the past and the beautiful golf course looks like an excellent challenge,” Els said. “But I am also looking forward to visiting Fiji. As professional golfers we are very lucky to travel the world and Fiji is a place that I would like to explore once my work on the course is finished.”

Now in its fifth year, the Fiji International has attracted a long list of world-class players to the tropical nation with Els the most recent addition.

“We are very excited to welcome Ernie Els to our beautiful country for the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways,” said the Honourable Faiyaz Siddiq Koya, Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism, Lands and Mineral Resources. “Having a player of Ernie’s calibre compete in the Fiji International demonstrates the tournaments’ standing on the international golf schedule. Ernie is highly respected in the golf world and having his tick of approval for the tournament will continue to enhance Fiji’s reputation as a world-class golfing destination.”

Tri-sanctioned by the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, European Tour and Asian Tour; securing Els for the 2018 tournament further demonstrates the advantage of the three tours’ involvement.

“We are very pleased to welcome and host Ernie in Fiji. Ernie is an incredibly talented player with a long and storied history in golf, his participation in the tournament will ensure the world’s attention is on the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways throughout event week,” said Gavin Kirkman, chief executive of the PGA of Australia which owns the PGA Tour of Australasia.

“Each year we have attracted players from all over the world to Fiji but Ernie will be the first South African player to tee it up in the tournament. South Africa is a strong golf-playing nation, having Ernie in the field will showcase to South Africans the potential of Fiji as a golfing destination.”