Dubai: Sports City and Golf in Dubai joined forces to raise $90,000 for autism charities and a local Dubai golf charity at the inaugural Els Club Charity Challenge.
Autism is a lifelong disorder which impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others.
The disorder became part of three-time golf major winner Ernie Els's life after his son Ben, now aged six, was diagnosed with the illness. The money raised will go to autism charities both in Dubai and internationally.
The Els Club Charity Challenge saw nine amateur golfers, each representing a local sponsor, challenging Ernie Els over one hole on The Els Club course at Dubai Sports City. On each hole, a $10,000 charity donation from the sponsor was the prize for one of the designated charities - Ernie's Autisms Charity or the Shaikh Maktoum Foundation - depending on whether Els or the amateur won the challenge, with the amateur benefiting from a full handicap allowance.
Butch Harmon, widely acknowledged as the world's leading golf instructor, and who yesterday inaugurated his own Butch Harmon School of Golf at Dubai Sports City, also attended the event and provided tuition to the amateurs.
U Balasubramaniam, chief executive, Dubai Sport City, said: "We are delighted to work with Golf in Dubai and local companies on this great initiative, which is so important to Ernie."
