Golf, Cigars And Charity: The Els For Autism Pro-Am
Monday is traditionally a day off for professional golfers, a day of rest after a four-day tournament. But on Monday, March 30, dozens of star golfers joined teams of enthusiastic amateurs for a pro-am with free-flowing cigars.
It was the 2026 Els For Autism Pro-Am, an event created by star pro golfer Ernie Els, his wife, Liezl Els and Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Cigar Aficionado magazine. The outing raises money for autism research and has funded the Els Center of Excellence, a state-of-the-art education and information center in Jupiter, Florida, that helps autistic children and their families.
This was the 18th such event, and it was held at Apogee Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida. It brought in more than $910,000.
The team from Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits won the day. Patrick O’Shaughnessy, Joan O’Shaughnessy and Joseph Bernstein were joined by pro Michelle McGann from the LPGA Tour. In second place was the team from M. Shanken Communications Inc., with Shanken, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, baseball legend Mike Piazza, Bill Terlato and Jason Weida. They were joined by Els, winner of four major championships. Close behind, in third place, was the team of Steve Peck, Noah Peck, Mike Morini and golf star K.J. Choi.
The golf stars joining Els, McGann and Choi included Luke Donald, Retief Goosen, Dicky Pride, Azahara Muñoz, Jason Dufner, Brett Quigley, David Frost, Thomas Aiken, Ken Duke, Justin Leonard, Cameron Tringale, Gene Sauers, Roger Steele, Rob Labritz and Marco Dawson.
The Pro-Am featured many golf and spirits stations to keep the players refreshed and smoking throughout the day. Altadis, Casa Carrillo, La Flor Dominicana and My Father Cigars provided cigars for the day, while Bacardi, Civil Society Brewing Co., Ernie Els Wines and Terlato Wines handled libations. Other sponsors included DashClip, Maui Jim, Bobby Jones and OluKai.
