“I can only imagine what it must mean to these children to be given the ability to smile. It’s a life-changing experience. The Smile Train is a wonderful cause and I’m happy to give it my full support. These people are doing something really special for children who deserve our help.”

Ernie Els. Professional golfer and Three-time Major Champion

After an exhausting nine-day Smile Train trip to China, my colleague and I stopped in San Diego to meet with one of our biggest donors. The two of us were eating a late dinner at a hotel bar that was virtually empty.

There was a small group of people having drinks nearby talking about birdies and bogies. That got my attention because I love playing golf. I remembered it was Sunday night and a PGA tournament finished up that day at Torrey Pines golf course, just 15 minutes from where we were.

I looked over and was shocked to see it with Ernie Els, one of the greatest golfers of all time.

I immediately grabbed a pen and a cocktail napkin and walked over to his group,

“Mr. Els, I’m just returning from nine days in China, leaving my wife alone back in New York with three kids under five years old,” I said. “My wife is great golfer – and a huge fan of yours – and it would really help me out if I could bring her back your autograph.”

“Sure thing,” Ernie said as he took my napkin and pen, “What’s her name? And what were you doing in China?”

“Thank you so much! My wife’s name is Cricket,” I said. “And my name is Brian Mullaney, I’m the co-founder of charity called Smile Train and we provide about 100,000 cleft surgeries a year in 92 of the world’s poorest countries.”

“Smile Train?” Ernie’s agent piped in. “Ernie that’s a great charity, I know all about it.”

“Congrats!” Ernie said giving me back the napkin and pen. “I go to China all the time. In fact, I’m playing in the Johnny Walker Black tournament in a few months. If you ever need any help let me know. Send some info to my agent and I’ll take a look.” I thanked him profusely and went back to my cheeseburger thinking what a great guy.

As I sat down, a man erupted from a nearby table for two, where he was sitting with a woman. I later found out that this couple had attended a wedding that happened nine hours earlier. They were both very, very drunk.

“Are you kidding me? That guy gets an autograph because he helps kids with clefts?” the man complained. “What do I need to get an autograph? Mongoloids? Kids with no legs? Retards?”

The room went silent. We were all in shock. As Ernie slowly walked over to this man who’d been saying these awful things. When he got there, Ernie slowly leaned over as if he was going to whisper something to him. Everyone in the room was watching.

But then Ernie slowly grabbed the man’s head with his two enormous hands and slammed his forehead into the man’s head. He headbutted him. Then, he stood up to his full 6’ 3” height and slapped the man across the face as hard as he could.

It was beautiful.

So, I would never forget what happened, it I immediately wrote down on the napkin with Cricket’s autograph: Headbutt. Faceslap.

Ernie turned around and slowly walked back to his chair. But before he could sit down, the man started screaming hysterically at the top of his lungs,

“I’ve been attacked by Ernie Els, I’ve been attacked!”

Ernie’s agent and his wife Leizl quickly ushered Ernie out of there. The man was fine – he wasn’t even bleeding. Hotel security showed up and we all told them what a jerk this guy was.

I followed up with Ernie’s agent and Ernie agreed to be one of our supporters. In a few months later I bumped into early at a hotel gym in Los Angeles before another PGA tournament. We talked about the incident and I told them how much I admired what he did. He didn’t say much except that the man had been harassing Ernie’s table all night, making derogatory statements about South Africa and Africans. The comments about disabled children were the last straw.

Six months later I got a letter from a lawyer asking for a deposition. Apparently, the jerk was suing Ernie Els because he claims he had been “incapacitated” and could no longer work. I was happy to give the court a statement and I explained how Ernie Els was in the right and this guy was way out of line.

But sure enough, feelings after that, I heard that Ernie had to give this jerk $500,000 to keep him from selling the story to the media. Pathetic.

I had such high hopes that evening. Ernie Els has a net worth of $75+ million. But the obnoxious drunk was the only one who benefitted from meeting him. He received $500,000.

And my charity Smile Train never received a dollar.