12月6日，周一，天公作美，直到在佛罗里达州棕榈滩花园的老棕榈高尔夫俱乐部举办的所有高尔夫球比赛结束，雨才下了下来。虽然天气变坏，但是也洗不掉这一天大家的好心情。

这是2021年度的埃尔斯高尔夫球比赛，这是一场专为自闭症患者募资的慈善比赛，参加的球员有专业球员，也有业余球员。首届比赛是2009年举办的（英文原文是2019年，怀疑应为2009年）。因为新冠病毒流行，2020年度春季的比赛被迫取消，2021年度的比赛也被迫推迟到12月份。和过去一样，热情的业余选手和来自PGA、LPGA巡回赛的专业人士一起参加了为期一天的慈善高尔夫球活动。

这是第13届比赛，这项为自闭症患者创建的慈善比赛是《雪茄爱好者》的出版商马文·R·尚肯和职业高尔夫球运动员厄尼·埃尔斯联合创办的。厄尼·埃尔斯的儿子本就是自闭症患者。自举办以来，这项赛事一共募集了1300万美元，这些资金用于资助一个位于佛罗里达州朱庇特市的自闭症儿童教育中心。

尚肯说，我们今天都很开心，幸运的是高尔夫球比赛在大雨降临之前结束了。参加这次活动的人反馈都很开心，这是一项伟大的活动。

有一些体育界的大腕也参加了这次活动，曲棍球巨星韦恩·格雷茨基，著名的篮球明星查尔斯·巴克利，棒球明星迈克·皮亚扎。查尔斯·巴克利展示了他才改进的新高尔夫球杆。

球场上不乏大满贯得主，包括四次大满贯冠军的厄尼·埃尔斯，三次大满贯冠军的维杰·辛格，三次大满贯冠军的尼克·普莱斯，两次大满贯冠军的约翰·戴利，以及一场大满贯冠军的伊恩·贝克·芬奇、特雷弗·伊梅尔曼，还有两场LPGA大满贯冠军克里斯蒂·克尔、莉迪亚·柯。

最后的胜利属于突破性饮料有限公司团队，由大卫·巴尼特、理查德·内斯特罗、朱利安·布尔津斯基、职业球员迪基·普瑞德组成，他们打出了低于标准杆17杆的好成绩。

斯通哈格·弗莱明、马克·普利西奇、韦恩·罗宾斯、保罗·韦尔登、职业球员彼得·雅各布森组成的队伍获得第二名。

彼得·多伊奇、切特·杜兹克、马克·哈尔彭和职业选手伊恩·贝克·芬奇组成的队伍获得了第三名。

按照传统，比赛的最后部分是一杆进洞比赛，每位职业选手都试图在球场第19洞打出一记王牌球，那个洞周围全是水域。维杰·辛格、卡米洛·维勒加斯这两个球员的表现非常接近一杆进洞。但是没有人获得奖金。上一次还是2016年，里奇·福勒一杆进洞，为慈善活动赢得了100万美元。

球场的休息站摆放了饮料和雪茄，球员可以开心的消暑。亚历克布拉德利公司、阿塔迪斯公司、EPC雪茄公司、多米尼加之花公司、老爹雪茄公司为比赛赞助了雪茄。

附参考原文：

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.