Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington were honoured by the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) at The Masters Tournament.
Els won the Charlie Bartlett Award, given to a playing professional for unselfish contributions to the betterment of society, for setting up the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation in South Africa and, more recently, the Els for Autism Foundation in the United States.
“I often say that the mark of a true man is not what he takes in life, but what he gives back,” said Els. “It is a philosophy that I strongly believe in and live by, so an award such as this from the Golf Writers Association of America really means a lot to me and I know to everyone else who works on behalf of our charitable foundations.”
Harrington picked up the ASAP Sports Jim Murray Award for his cooperation and accommodation with the media. He said: “I’ve built up a relationship with the Irish media and Irish press over the years, and felt very comfortable as I progressed from being an amateur to a professional.
“I think as Irish guys, as maybe I’ve proved, we don’t need to be wary. If we treat you guys with respect, you guys treat us with respect and write things which are fair. ”
