“He’s always going to be the first person I call when I need advice,” for Jovan Rebula, that is just capitalizing on a great advantage. The advantage of being Ernie Els’ nephew. We would do the same if we could. Isn’t that true? But this week, Rebula might need it more. In Mallorca, all eyes are on him as he fights for his DP World Tour card. The 26-year-old is on the brink of a breakthrough. And as the pressure builds, his call logs flash a familiar number – that of his uncle.

Talking to the HotelPlanner Tour, where he is in contention this week, Rebula talked about his strategies and what it would mean for him to earn that coveted card. “The world,” he said. So, does that mean he’s been taking advice from his uncle Ernie? Rebula responded in affirmation.

“You know, he’s just kind of been messaging me this week, just saying well done after the rounds of golf, but not really,” Rebula said. Then he continues, “I’m not trying to do too much this week, man. I’m just trying to approach it as any other golf tournament itself.”

“He’s kind of the guy that just tells you to keep it in front of you, man, just hit the shots when you need to hit the shots, and that’s pretty much what it comes down to,” Rebula adds.

Those words — “keep it in front of you” — are probably behind Els winning his four majors during his peak years. He’s known for giving advice to anyone who would lend an ear, including Tiger Woods. So now, for Rebula, they carry the weight of experience from one of South Africa’s greatest golfers.

Rebula is participating in the HotelPlanner as part of the Rolex Grand Final at Club de Golf Alcanada in Mallorca. This is the finale of the European Challenge Tour, and only the top 20 players will earn promotion to the DPWT for the next season. If everything goes well, Rebula could be one of them.

He entered the event ranked 22nd, just two spots outside the cutoff. But as of Saturday evening, he’s tied for 13th at three under par. That’s a solid position, but with plenty still to play for. For context, four South Africans – JC Ritchie, Danie van Tonder, Jovan Rebula, and Wilco Nienaber are in Mallorca this week. Ritchie and Van Tonder are experienced winners on the Sunshine Tour, so they are relatively safe bets. But for Rebula and Nienaber, the road is narrower.

Why do we say that? Although Rebula’s amateur career was glittering, he has been struggling since turning pro. He won the Amateur Championship in 2018, as only the second South African to do so, after Bobby Cole. An unachieved feat by his uncle, for that matter. That victory got him exemptions in the 2018 Open, the 2019 Masters, and the 2019 US Open.

But two years later, when he turned professional in 2021, his consistency went for a toss. He’s now ranked 560th in the world. Through it all, his ambition remains the same:

“My main goal is to try and get back to playing golf in America again, if that’s the Korn Ferry Tour or the PGA Tour. That’s ultimately where I want to be,” he said earlier.

To put matters into perspective, Ernie Els has 28 wins on the DP World Tour and 19 on the PGA Tour. That’s why his influence on his nephew plays a crucial role.

Ernie’s ever-present influence on Rebula’s life

Ernie Els has taken on that uncle duty with open arms, time and time again. He’s often advised Jovan Rebula to focus on his education more than this sport.

“There are no guarantees of success in this game,” Els advised him once. “So getting a great education is very important.”

As per Els, if Rebula could get four years of experience playing top golf against top amateurs, then that’s an opportunity he should definitely make use of. Apart from that, the two have often teed up together, and the moments have been memorable for both of them. In the third round of the 2021 South African Open, Els was quite proud playing with Rebula.

“A special day,” he said afterward. “I know as time goes on, we’ll reflect on this day.”

For Els, his wish is simple. He wants his nephew to achieve everything he could not achieve for himself.

After Rebula’s 2018 Amateur Championship victory, Els said, “I’m happy he’s good enough. I hope he breaks every record I have.”

For Rebula, too, he understands the privilege he possesses, as having one of the greats as his uncle. “I guess I got pretty lucky…” he once told others.

One remarkable moment from their shared bonds is the time when Rebula ended up challenging Els for a 25-foot putt on the 17th hole. The one who loses would have to do push-ups. Luckily, Rebula won that challenge, and Els, as a man of his word, went ahead to hit the ground. But the moment he did that, Rebula came beside him on the green, joining him. They both ended up doing the push-ups together.

“It’s a moment that I’ll embrace forever,” Rebula later said.