Last July, former World No. 1 golfer Ernie Els came to Akron and left his mark, winning the Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club’s South Course. This was his first major championship as a member of the PGA Tour Champions circuit after winning four major championships during his PGA Tour career.
Els will shift his focus to the golf tournament later this week as he looks to repeat as champion, but on Tuesday he was dialed in on something else.
Els, accompanied by his wife, Liezl, and son, Ben, made their way to the future home of the Tom and Jill Zidian Family Autism Center at Akron Children’s Hospital.
Those who attended last year’s tournament or have followed Els may remember the scene on the 18th green after the final putt dropped as Ben shared an emotional embrace with his father. Ben, 22, was diagnosed with autism when he was 4 years old.
“It's hard to explain. I mean, it’s so special with Ben.” says Els of that moment at last month’s Kaulig Companies Championship media day. “He's quite a character. He's a very outgoing, young guy, and he was the exact opposite when he was growing up.”
Aside from chasing perfection on the golf course — something that any golfer will tell you is impossible —‚ Els has spent a considerable amount of time trying to make the lives of those living with autism, and their families, better through his foundation, Els for Autism. Being in Akron and taking a look at what will soon be a new center for autistic kids is part of that.
“This is groundbreaking stuff. This is so needed in this area here,” Els says. “They've already got a thousand applicants, you know, standing in. So this is going to change the autism world here in the Akron area.”
This new center is possible, in part, thanks to Tom and Jill Zidian. The couple donated $2 million to make the new center a reality. They, like Els, have an autistic child.
According to the CDC, about 1 of every 31 children at age 8 has autism to some degree. The hope is a place like this new center in Akron, as well as early screening and diagnosis, will put autistic children in comfortable environments early and and allow them to reach their full potential.
Akron Children’s Hospital will also be receiving some of the proceeds from this weekend’s tournament. The goal for the tournament, says Kaulig Companies founder and chairman Matt Kaulig and president and CEO Tim Clepper, is to raise $1.5 million this weekend that will benefit Northeast Ohio. Last year’s tournament raised more than $1.3 million.
“Autism's been integrated into the mainline community, and that's our whole goal for the people out there, to understand what autism is all about, how autism can really benefit the community in many, many ways and get autistic kids with facilities like these more comfortable within their own skin so that they're comfortable going out in the outside world,” Els says. “It's come a long, long way, believe me. And centers like this are only going to help it even more.”
The Kaulig Companies Championship begins on Thursday morning at Firestone Country Club. Tickets can be purchased here.
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