As the COO at SAS, a lifetime golfer and a longtime resident of North Carolina’s Research Triangle region, it’s easy to single out one event every year that I take particular pride in: the SAS Championship.
This year’s tournament marked the 25th edition of the PGA TOUR Champions event that we host right here in Cary, just minutes from our global headquarters. One of the first events of Championship week is our “Inside the Ropes” experience – an evening when customers join us at HQ for an overview of the latest innovations SAS is bringing to the market, an opportunity to connect directly with our leadership team and a fireside chat with a golf legend.
It just so happens that this year, the golf legend was Ernie Els and I was the fortunate SAS representative who got to interview him. It turned out to be one of those moments when a conversation about sports became a masterclass in leadership.
Ernie isn’t just a four-time major champion, a World Golf Hall of Famer and a former SAS Championship winner – he’s a thinker. His reflections on preparation, trust, teamwork and the relentless pursuit of better resonated deeply with me as a leader and as someone who loves the game.
At SAS, our vision is clear: to be the most trustworthy data and AI partner that powers the world’s decisions. Our mission? To provide knowledge in the moments that matter. Listening to Ernie, I realized how closely those principles align with the disciplines that win on Sunday – and in the boardroom.
Preparation: Turn rehearsal into reflex
When it comes to how he readies himself for a tournament, the man known as “The Big Easy” didn’t mince words.
“Preparation, for me, is quite intense and I take it seriously,” he said. “My practice sessions are quite intense. You prepare yourself for the real thing, where when the real thing comes, it’s almost automatic.”
In golf, as in business, the work you put in behind the scenes determines how you perform when it matters most. For SAS customers, this means investing in data, analytics, and AI so that when opportunities or disruptions arise, your response is not just quick; it’s instinctive.
I joked that by my third swing during a round of golf, I start changing everything. Ernie laughed: “Under pressure, you don’t want to do something you haven’t really tried. You go back to stuff that’s worked before.”
Panic tweaks are not a strategy. Preparation is.
Team effort: Success is never solo
Ernie reminded us that, “You can’t do anything yourself. It’s a team effort, as we all know.”
On tour, that means coaches, caddies, fitters and physios. In companies, it means R&D, sales, marketing, customer support, IT, Finance and HR working as one squad around a defined business outcome. At SAS, we view our customers as partners in innovation. Together, we build ecosystems where AI and analytics amplify human expertise, whether you’re optimizing supply chains, improving patient outcomes or fighting fraud.
Trust: The currency of high performance
Trust, Ernie said, comes from preparation.
“You go to a place where you trust yourself and that comes from preparing your weaknesses to where you don’t feel too insecure about that,” he explained.
Trust is always on our minds here at SAS, especially following the recent release of the Data & AI Impact Report with IDC that we commissioned.
In business, trust means knowing your data is reliable, your AI models are explainable, and your partnerships are built on transparency and shared goals. That’s why SAS embeds responsible AI practices – bias testing, governance and explainability – into everything we create.
You go to a place where you trust yourself and that comes from preparing your weaknesses to where you don’t feel too insecure about that. Ernie Els
Passion and purpose: Doing what you love, making a difference
We live in a disruptive world, with distractions waiting for us at every turn. It only felt right to ask an elite sportsman for advice on how to remain focused, passionate and diligent. Ernie’s response was simple but profound: “Hopefully you’re doing something that you love and that you wake up and you feel you can make a difference.”
At SAS, we’re passionate about empowering our customers to solve real-world problems. Whether you’re a health care provider, a financial institution or a retailer, your work matters, and we’re here to help you amplify your impact with AI-driven insights that make a difference in the moments that matter most.
Continuous improvement: The relentless pursuit of better
Even after decades of success, Ernie is still focused on growth.
“I want to try and get better, you know, for next year,” he said. “Maybe I’ve got a couple of years left, five years left. But I want to try and get the most out of it.”
That mindset is essential in today’s world. The pace of change is accelerating, and the organizations that thrive are those that never stop learning, adapting and innovating. At SAS, we help customers build that culture of continuous improvement through AI and analytics that learn, adapt and scale with your business.
Closing thought
Ernie told me there are still things he wants to do – more shots he wants back, more tournaments he wants to win. That hunger, matched with disciplined preparation and a trusted team, makes for a powerful formula. It’s the same formula behind SAS’ vision and mission: to be the most trustworthy data and AI partner that powers the world’s decisions, and to provide knowledge in the moments that matter.
If you’re a current or prospective SAS customer, my invitation is simple: Let’s design your “automatic under pressure” moments now so that when you find yourself in the rough, you already know the shot.
