"You must work very hard to become a natural golfer." -- Gary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG (born 1 November 1935) is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories as well as his nine major victories on the Champions Tour, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six decades.
Player was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has logged more than 15 million miles in travel, probably more than any other athlete.Dubbed the Black Knight , Mr. Fitness, and the International Ambassador of Golf, Player is a renowned golf course architect with more than 300 design projects throughout the world.
His business interests are represented by Black Knight International, which includes Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate, and Black Knight Enterprises, aspects of which include licensing, events, publishing, wine, apparel and memorabilia.
The Gary Player Stud Farm has received worldwide acclaim for breeding top thoroughbred race horses, including 1994 Epsom Derby entry Broadway Flyer. He operates The Player Foundation with its primary objective to promote underprivileged education around the world.
In 1983, The Player Foundation established the Blair Atholl Schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, which has educational facilities for more than 500 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. In 2008 it celebrated its 25th Anniversary with charity golf events in London, Palm Beach, Shanghai and Cape Town, bringing its total of funds raised to over US $30 million .
"As we all know... golf is a puzzle without an answer.""Golf is a puzzle without an answer. I've played the game for 40 years and I still haven't the slightest idea how to play.""I've traveled more than any human being who's ever lived.""If there's a golf course in heaven, I hope it's like Augusta National. I just don't want an early tee time.""The harder you work, the luckier you get.""We create success or failure on the course primarily by our thoughts."
Gary Player was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, the youngest of Harry and Muriel Player's three children. When he was eight years old his mother died from cancer. Although his father was often away from home working in the gold mines, he did manage to take a loan in order to buy a set of clubs for his son Gary to begin playing golf. The Virginia Park golf course in Johannesburg is where Player first began his love affair with golf. At the age of 14 Player played his first round of golf and parred the first three holes. At age 16 he announced that he would become number one in the world. At age 17 he became a professional golfer.
Player married wife Vivienne Verwey (sister of professional golfer Bobby Verwey) on January 19, 1957, four years after turning professional. Together they have six children: Jennifer, Marc, Wayne, Michele, Theresa and Amanda. He is also a grandfather to 21 grandchildren. During the early days of his career Player would travel from tournament to tournament with wife, six children, nanny and a tutor in tow.
Eldest son Marc Player owns and operates Black Knight International, which exclusively represents Player in all his commercial activities, including all endorsements, merchandising, golf course design and real estate development.
He is also the brother of world renowned wildlife conservationist Dr. Ian Player who saved the white rhino from extinction.
Player is one of the most successful golfers in the history of the sport, ranking third (behind Roberto de Vicenzo and Sam Snead) in total professional wins, with at least 166, and tied for fourth in major championship victories with nine. Along with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus he is often referred to as one of "The Big Three" golfers of his era — from the late 1950s through the late 1970s — when golf boomed in the United States and around the world, greatly encouraged by expanded television coverage. Along with Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, he is one of only five players to win golf’s "career Grand Slam". He completed the Grand Slam in 1965 at the age of twenty-nine. Player was the second multi-time majors winner from South Africa, following Bobby Locke, then was succeeded by Ernie Els, and Retief Goosen.
Player played regularly on the U.S. based PGA Tour from the late 1950s. He led the money list in 1961, and went on to accumulate 24 career titles. He also played an exceptionally busy schedule all over the world, and he has been called the world's most traveled athlete, clocking up more than 15 million miles. He has more victories than anyone else in the South African Open (13) and the Australian Open (7). He held the record for most victories in the World Match Play Championship, with five wins, from 1973 until 1991 when this feat was equaled by Seve Ballesteros, finally losing his share of the record in 2004, when Ernie Els won the event for a sixth time. Player was ever-present in the top ten of Mark McCormack's world golf rankings from their inception in 1968 until 1981; he was ranked second on those rankings in 1969, 1970 and 1972, each time behind Jack Nicklaus, and had those rankings been based on just the most recent two seasons (like their modern counterpart) Player would have been number one several times.
He was the only player in the 20th century to win the (British) Open in three different decades. Golf: Gary Player - SouthAfrica.info His first win, as a 23-year-old in 1959 at Muirfield, came after he double-bogeyed the last hole, and broke down in tears thinking he had lost his chance, but none of the remaining players on the course could match the clubhouse lead he had set. In 1974, he became one of the few golfers in history to win two major championships in the same season. Player last won the U.S. Masters in 1978, when he started seven strokes behind the leaders entering the final round and won by one shot with birdies at seven of the last 10 holes for a back nine 30 and a final round 64. One week later, Player came from seven strokes back in the final round to win the Tournament of Champions. In 1984, at the age of 48, Player nearly became the oldest ever major champion, finishing just behind Lee Trevino at the PGA Championship. And in gusty winds at the 1998 Masters, he became the oldest golfer ever to make to the cut, breaking the 25-year-old record set by Sam Snead. Player credited this feat to his dedication to the concept of diet, health, practise and golf fitness.Being South African, Player never played in the Ryder Cup in which American and European golfers compete against each other. Regarding the event, Player remarked, "The things I have seen in the Ryder Cup have disappointed me. You are hearing about hatred and war." He was no longer an eligible player when the Presidents Cup was established to give international players the opportunity to compete in a similar event, but he was non-playing captain of the International Team for the Presidents Cup in 2003, which was held on a course he designed, The Links at Fancourt in George, South Africa. After 2003 ended in a tie, he was reappointed as captain for the 2005 Presidents Cup, and his team lost to the Americans 15.5 to 18.5. Both Player and Jack Nicklaus were appointed to captain their respective teams again in 2007 in Canada; the United States won.
In 2000 he was voted "Sportsman of the Century" in South Africa. In 1966, Gary Player was awarded the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. The "Gary Player — A Global Journey" exhibition was launched by the Hall of Fame as of March, 2006.
In 2000, Player was ranked as the eighth greatest golfer of all time by Golf Digest magazine.
In 2002, Player was voted as the second greatest global golfer of all time by a panel of international media, golf magazines and fellow professionals conducted by the leading Golf Asia Magazine.
On 10 April 2009, he played for the last time in The Masters, where he was playing for his record 52nd time. He was the last of The Big Three (Nicklaus, Player & Palmer) to retire from this tournament, a testament to his longevity.
On 23 July 2009, at the age of 73, Player competed in the Senior British Open Championship at Sunningdale Golf Club, 53 years after capturing his maiden European Tour victory at the Berkshire venue.
1961 (3) Lucky International Open, Sunshine Open Invitational, Masters Tournament
1962 (1) PGA Championship
1963 (1) San Diego Open Invitational
1964 (2) Pensacola Open, 500 Festival Open Invitation
1965 (1) U.S. Open
1968 (1) The Open Championship
1969 (1) Tournament of Champions
1970 (1) Greater Greensboro Open
1971 (2) Greater Jacksonville Open, National Airlines Open Invitational
1972 (2) Greater New Orleans Open, PGA Championship
1973 (1) Southern Open
1974 (3) Masters Tournament, Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, The Open Championship
1978 (3) Masters Tournament, MONY Tournament of Champions, Houston Open
Major championships are shown in bold.
European Tour and other international wins
In addition to his wins on the PGA Tour, Player won more than 120 other tournaments in "regular", that is non-senior golf.
South Africa Tour (now the Sunshine Tour)73 wins between 1955 and 1981 including:
South African Open: 13 times between 1956 and 1983
South African Masters: 10 times between 1959 and 1976
South African PGA Championship: 5 times between 1959 and 1976
PGA Tour of Australasia18 wins between 1956 and 1981 including:
Australian Open: A record 7 times between 1958 and 1974. Jack Nicklaus won 6 and Greg Norman 5 times.
OtherAt least 20 other wins between 1955 and 1984, including:
World Cup: individual title in 1965 and 1977
Piccadilly World Match Play Championship: 5 times between 1965 and 1974 (played in England, but not an official European Tour event at that time)
World Series of Golf: 1965, 1968 and 1972 (U.S. - not a PGA Tour event at that time)
Trophée Lancôme: 1975
Player also collected wins in Australia, Brazil, North and West Africa, Canada, Japan and Latin America.
Champions Tour wins (19)
1985 (1) Quadel Seniors Classic
1986 (3) General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship, United Hospitals Senior Golf Championship, Denver Post Champions of Golf
1987 (3) Mazda Senior Tournament Players Championship, U.S. Senior Open, PaineWebber World Seniors Invitational
1988 (5) General Foods PGA Seniors' Championship, Aetna Challenge, Southwestern Bell Classic, U.S. Senior Open, GTE North Classic
1989 (2) GTE North Classic, RJR Championship
1990 (1) PGA Seniors' Championship
1991 (1) Royal Caribbean Classic
1993 (1) Bank One Senior Classic
1995 (1) Bank One Classic
1998 (1) Northville Long Island Classic
Senior majors are shown in bold. See "Other senior wins" below for Player's wins in the Senior British Open.
Other senior wins (15)
1986 Senior Skins Game (South Africa)
1987 Northville Invitational (United States), German PGA Team Championship
1988 Senior British Open (European Seniors Tour), Nissan Senior Skins (South Africa)
1990 Senior British Open (European Seniors Tour)
1991 Nissan Senior Skins (South Africa)
1993 Irish Senior Masters (European Seniors Tour)
1997 Dai-ichi Seimei Cup (Japan), Senior British Open (European Seniors Tour), Shell Wentworth Senior Masters (European Seniors Tour),
2000 Senior Skins Game (U.S. - unofficial event)
2005 Nelson Mandela Invitational (Sunshine Tour - unofficial event)
2009 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Demaret Division (with Bob Charles)
2010 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Demaret Division (with Bob Charles)
The Senior British Open is shown in bold as it is generally recognized as a major and it is now an official Champions Tour event and major. However, it was not an official Champions Tour event as recognized by the US PGA Tour when Player achieved his wins, and in contrast to early wins in regular British Opens by PGA Tour members, which are now included in their official PGA Tour win tallies, wins in early Senior British Opens by Champions Tour members have not been retrospectively designated as Champions Tour wins by the PGA Tour at this time. The Senior British Open is however recognized as a major by all other international bodies, such as the European Tour. It is widely believed the Americans will eventually designate these as majors just as they have the regular tour's British Open
Through the years, Player and Gary Player Design have executed a portfolio of over 300 projects in 35 countries on five continents. The mission of Gary Player Design is to conduct their business in the same manner in which Gary Player has conducted himself as a golfer and gentleman during his 50-year career. Their services revolve around building long-term mutually rewarding relationships with clients by displaying integrity and credibility in a business setting. From project conceptualization through planning, design, construction, marketing and opening, the group takes a proactive role in providing experienced solutions throughout the intricate development process.
The company offers three different design brands: Gary Player Design, Player Design and Black Knight Design. The marketing advantages of each of these brands vary according to the personal participation of Player, as well as the access to different levels of intellectual property.
Gary Player Design also upholds a strict environmental policy, which includes minimizing site disturbance, promoting organic applications, and specifying environmentally-sensitive building materials in their golf course design approach. They continue to refine efforts in these areas and stay current on related state of the art industry methods.
Their primary focus, however, is on one of earth’s most precious resources and one of Gary Player's greatest concerns — water. According to Player, "Water conservation techniques are not only our fundamental responsibility, but are important to the industry of golf and the global growth of the wonderful game of golf, as real water-savings also mean real cost-savings."
In July 2007, a media controversy emerged over his statements at The Open Championship golf tournament about the use of performance enhancing drugs in golf. Subsequently, the PGA Tour introduced a formal policy.
Player has almost always "spoken his mind" and been considered a controversial albeit frank and forthright professional golfer. He has been a pioneer of diet, health and fitness although he upset the Atkins Diet organization by disagreeing with their "all protein" approach. He was branded a "traitor" by South African Nationalist Government supporters for inviting and bringing both black tennis pro Arthur Ashe and golfer Lee Elder to play in South Africa. He was the first golfer to call on mandatory drug testing on all tours around the world.
In 1966, Player was quoted in a book entitled Grand Slam Golf in which he wrote:
Player has apologized profusely about this statement, saying he was a young man who never proof read the book's manuscript prior to going to print and that the quote was never made by him but rather the writer of the book."It is believed that Player's attitude towards the apartheid regime is very different today and has so far raised over 100 million dollars through his foundation to support under-privileged education in South Africa during apartheid.
In 2002, Player designed a golf course in Burma, named by the developers, The Pride of Myanmar, currently frequented by tourists as well as generals of the army. There are unsubstantiated accusations that the land for the courses was seized from poor farmers without compensation. Regardless, as a designer Player had nothing to do with how the land was acquired.
Player has hosted the Nelson Mandela Invitational golf tournament since 2000. In October 2007, further media controversy arose about his involvement in the 2002 design of a golf course in Burma. As a result of the recent political uprisings in Burma, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund has withdrawn from the fundraising golf tournament because of Player's unsubstantiated business links with the country. Both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have however accepted Player's position and statements on Burma. Player refused to withdraw as he personally built the event from scratch and issued a statement rebutting these claims via his website. The event is now annually staged at the Fancourt Resort as the Gary Player Invitational and is South Africa's largest and most successful charity event, having raised a record amount of over R250 million for various children's charities.
Received the 1966 Bob Jones Award from the United States Golf Association.
Named Honorary Member of the R&A in 1994.
Received Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from St. Andrews in 1995.
Received Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland in 1997
The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational trophy is named the Gary Player Cup.
Named Honorary Member of Carnoustie in 1999
Received Honorary Doctorate in Law, University of Dundee, Scotland in 1999
South African Sportsman of the Century award in 2000
Received the 2003 Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Monte Carlo.
Awarded the Order of Ikhamanga (in gold) by President Mbeki of South Africa for excellence in golf and contribution to non-racial sport in South Africa.
He was the world's first golfer to be featured on any country's postal stamp in South Africa.
Has designed over 300 golf courses on six continents around the world.
Coined one of the most quoted aphorisms of post-War sport: "The harder you practice, the luckier you get."
He currently plays on the U.S. Champions Tour and European Seniors Tour occasionally.
He received the 2006 Payne Stewart Award from the PGA Tour.
Played in his 52nd Masters Tournament at Augusta National in April 2009, extending his record of for most Masters appearances
Inducted into the African American Sports Hall of Fame in May 2007, with Lifetime Achievement Award
Has played in a record 46 consecutive British Open Championships, winning 3 times over 3 decades.
Stars with Camilo Villegas in a MasterCard "priceless foursome" television commercial launched during the U.S. Open in June 2009
In November, 2009 he was awarded the inaugural Breeders Cup "Sports and Racing Excellence Award" at Santa Anita Park in California which honors owners and breeders of thoroughbred race horses.
