12月6日，周一，天公作美，直到在佛羅里達州棕櫚灘花園的老棕櫚高爾夫俱樂部舉辦的所有高爾夫球比賽結束，雨才下了下來。雖然天氣變壞，但是也洗不掉這一天大家的好心情。

這是2021年度的埃爾斯高爾夫球比賽，這是一場專為自閉癥患者募資的慈善比賽，參加的球員有專業球員，也有業余球員。首屆比賽是2009年舉辦的（英文原文是2019年，懷疑應為2009年）。因為新冠病毒流行，2020年度春季的比賽被迫取消，2021年度的比賽也被迫推遲到12月份。和過去一樣，熱情的業余選手和來自PGA、LPGA巡回賽的專業人士一起參加了為期一天的慈善高爾夫球活動。

這是第13屆比賽，這項為自閉癥患者創建的慈善比賽是《雪茄愛好者》的出版商馬文·R·尚肯和職業高爾夫球運動員厄尼·埃爾斯聯合創辦的。厄尼·埃爾斯的兒子本就是自閉癥患者。自舉辦以來，這項賽事一共募集了1300萬美元，這些資金用于資助一個位于佛羅里達州朱庇特市的自閉癥兒童教育中心。

尚肯說，我們今天都很開心，幸運的是高爾夫球比賽在大雨降臨之前結束了。參加這次活動的人反饋都很開心，這是一項偉大的活動。

有一些體育界的大腕也參加了這次活動，曲棍球巨星韋恩·格雷茨基，著名的籃球明星查爾斯·巴克利，棒球明星邁克·皮亞扎。查爾斯·巴克利展示了他才改進的新高爾夫球桿。

球場上不乏大滿貫得主，包括四次大滿貫冠軍的厄尼·埃爾斯，三次大滿貫冠軍的維杰·辛格，三次大滿貫冠軍的尼克·普萊斯，兩次大滿貫冠軍的約翰·戴利，以及一場大滿貫冠軍的伊恩·貝克·芬奇、特雷弗·伊梅爾曼，還有兩場LPGA大滿貫冠軍克里斯蒂·克爾、莉迪亞·柯。

最后的勝利屬于突破性飲料有限公司團隊，由大衛·巴尼特、理查德·內斯特羅、朱利安·布爾津斯基、職業球員迪基·普瑞德組成，他們打出了低于標準桿17桿的好成績。

斯通哈格·弗萊明、馬克·普利西奇、韋恩·羅賓斯、保羅·韋爾登、職業球員彼得·雅各布森組成的隊伍獲得第二名。

彼得·多伊奇、切特·杜茲克、馬克·哈爾彭和職業選手伊恩·貝克·芬奇組成的隊伍獲得了第三名。

按照傳統，比賽的最后部分是一桿進洞比賽，每位職業選手都試圖在球場第19洞打出一記王牌球，那個洞周圍全是水域。維杰·辛格、卡米洛·維勒加斯這兩個球員的表現非常接近一桿進洞。但是沒有人獲得獎金。上一次還是2016年，里奇·福勒一桿進洞，為慈善活動贏得了100萬美元。

球場的休息站擺放了飲料和雪茄，球員可以開心的消暑。亞歷克布拉德利公司、阿塔迪斯公司、EPC雪茄公司、多米尼加之花公司、老爹雪茄公司為比賽贊助了雪茄。

附參考原文：

The clouds cooperated on Monday, holding their rain until all the golf was done at the 2021 Els for Autism Pro-Am at Old Palm Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. When it was finally complete, the showers began, but inclement weather could not wash away the good feelings on this day.?

The players had waited long enough for the event, held for the first time since 2019. The pandemic had forced cancellation in the spring of 2020, and necessitated its move from early in the year to December. But it was like old times as a field of enthusiastic amateur golfers joined with professionals from the PGA and LPGA Tours, plus a host of sporting legends, for a day of golf for charity.?

This was the 13th Els for Autism Pro-Am, created by Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Cigar Aficionado, and pro golfer Ernie Els, whose son Ben has autism. The event has raised approximately $13 million since its formation, money that has funded the Els Center of Excellence, an education center in Jupiter, Florida, for children with autism.?

“We all had a great time, and luckily the golf finished just before the heavens opened up and it started pouring. The feedback on the event was happiness had by all, for a great cause,” said Shanken.

Among the participants were some of the biggest names in the sporting world: hockey great Wayne Gretzky (who appeared on the April 1997 cover of Cigar Aficionado), famed basketball star Charles Barkley (who was on the April 2020 cover) and baseball star Mike Piazza, who was profiled by Cigar Aficionado in 2016. Barkley showed off his new-and-improved golf swing, winning not only the long drive competition, but closest to the pin.

There was no shortage of major winners among the golfers in the field, including Els (a four-time major winner), Vijay Singh (winner of three majors), Nick Price (three majors), John Daly (two majors), Ian Baker-Finch (one major), Trevor Immelman (one major), plus Cristie Kerr (who has won two LPGA majors) and Lydia Ko (two LPGA majors).?

Victory went to the Breakthru Beverage Group LLC team, consisting of David Barnett, Richard Nestro, Julian Burzynski and pro Dicky Pride. They shot 17 under.?

Stonehage Fleming, with Mark Pulisic, Wayne Robbins, Paul Weldon and pro Peter Jacobsen, took second place. The Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits team, with Peter Deutsch, Chet Dudzik, Mark Halpern and pro Ian Baker-Finch, finished third.?

As is tradition, the final part of the event was a hole-in-one contest, with each pro trying to ace Old Palm’s deceptively difficult 19th hole, with water all around. “Two players got very close to a hole in one, Vijay Singh and Camilo Villegas,” said Shanken, though none could claim the prize. (In 2016, Rickie Fowler hit a hole in one at the event, raising $1 million for the charity with one shot.)?

The course had plenty of drink and cigar stations to keep the players quenched and puffing away happily. Avion Tequila, Ernie Els wines, Grey Goose vodka and Terlato pinot grigio wines were poured during the Pro-Am. The cigars were provided by Alec Bradley, Altadis, EPC Cigar Co., La Flor Dominicana and My Father Cigars.