Gary James Player (born 1 November 1935) is a South African retired professional golfer who is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. Player won over 160 professional tournaments across six continents, including nine major championships.
Following victories at the 1959 Open Championship, 1961 Masters Tournament and 1962 PGA Championship, Player won the 1965 U.S. Open to become the first non-American to win the career grand slam. He was the third golfer to win the modern career grand slam, and only three more players have achieved the feat since. Player was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
Nicknamed "the Black Knight", "Mr Fitness", and "the International Ambassador of Golf", Player has been prolific as a golf course architect with more than 400 design projects throughout the world. He has also authored or co-written 36 books on golf instruction, design, philosophy, motivation and fitness. In 2021, Player was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by United States president Donald Trump.
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Background and family
Player was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, the youngest of Muriel and Harry Player's three children. At age 17, he became a professional golfer.
Player married wife Vivienne Verwey (sister of professional golfer Bobby Verwey) on 19 January 1957, four years after turning professional. Together they had six children: Jennifer, Marc, Wayne, Michele, Theresa, and Amanda. He also has 22 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. During the early days of his career, Player would travel from tournament to tournament with his wife, six children, their nanny and a tutor in tow. Vivienne died of cancer in August 2021.
Player's eldest son, Marc, owns and operates The Player Group, including all trademarks and intellectual property. The Player Group exclusively represents Player in all his commercial activities, including all endorsements, licensing, merchandising, golf course design, and real estate development. In 2020, Player won a legal battle against the Gary Player Group. He was awarded $5 million and the rights to his name and likeness back from the company.
Today, the Gary & Vivienne Player Foundation (established after Vivienne’s death in 2022) operates in South Africa and the United States.
Player is the brother of Ian Player, a South African environmental educator, activist and conservationist.
Playing career
Player is one of the most successful golfers in history, 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 the mid-1960's. From the late 1950s through the late 1970s golf boomed in the United States and around the world and was greatly encouraged by expanded television coverage. Along with Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, he is one of only six players to win golf's "career Grand Slam". He completed the Grand Slam in 1965 at the age of 29. At the time, he was the youngest player to do this, though Jack Nicklaus (26) and Tiger Woods (24) subsequently broke this record. Player was the second multiple majors winner from South Africa, following Bobby Locke, then was followed by Ernie Els, and Retief Goosen.
Player competed regularly on the U.S. based PGA Tour from the late 1950s. He led the Tour money list in 1961, and went on to accumulate 24 career Tour titles. He also played an exceptionally busy schedule all over the world, and he has been called the world's most traveled athlete. Player has logged more than 26 million km (16 million mi) in air travel – in 2005 it was estimated that he had "probably flown further … than any athlete in history".
Player 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 equalled by Seve Ballesteros, finally losing his share of the record in 2004, when Ernie Els won the event for the sixth time. Player was in the top ten of Mark McCormack's world golf rankings from their inception in 1968 until 1981; he was ranked second in 1969, 1970 and 1972, each time to Jack Nicklaus.
Player was the only player in the 20th century to win the British Open in three different decades. His first win, as a 23-year-old in 1959 at Muirfield, came after he double-bogeyed the last hole. In 1974, he became one of the few golfers in history to win two major championships in the same season. Player last won the Masters in 1978, when he started seven strokes behind 54-hole leader Hubert Green 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 again 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 in second place behind Lee Trevino at the PGA Championship. And in gusty winds at the 1998 Masters, he became the oldest golfer ever to make 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, practice and golf fitness.
Augusta National green jacket
The green jacket is reserved for Augusta National members and golfers who win the Masters Tournament. Jackets are kept on club grounds, and taking them off the premises is forbidden. The exception is for the winner, who can take it home and return it to the club the following year. Player, who became the tournament's first international winner in 1961, said he did not know that, he packed the jacket and took it to his home in South Africa. That led to a call from club Chairman Clifford Roberts, who was a stickler for rules. "I didn't know you were supposed to leave it there," Player said. "Next thing you know, there was a call from Mr. Roberts."
Legacy
In 2000, Player was voted "Sportsman of the Century" in South Africa. In 1966, he was awarded the Bob Jones Award, the highest honour 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, Golf Digest magazine ranked Player as the eighth greatest golfer of all time.
On 10 April 2009, he played for the last time in the Masters, where he was playing for his record 52nd time – every year since 1957 except for 1973, when he was recovering from surgery.
At age 73 on 23 July 2009, 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.
Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters announced on 5 July 2011 that Player had been invited to join Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer as an honorary starter. The Big Three were reunited in this capacity starting with the 2012 tournament.
In July 2013, Player became the oldest athlete ever to pose nude in ESPN The Magazine's annual Body Issue to inspire people to keep looking after themselves throughout their lives whatever their age.
Views
Views on apartheid
In 1966, Player espoused support for the apartheid policies of Hendrik Verwoerd in his book Grand Slam Golf, stating: "I must say now, and clearly, that I am of the South Africa of Verwoerd and apartheid ... a nation which ... is the product of its instinct and ability to maintain civilised values and standards amongst the alien barbarians. The African may well believe in witchcraft and primitive magic, practise ritual murder and polygamy; his wealth is in cattle". Activists publicly demonstrated against Player's espousal of apartheid, including protesting against Player at the 1969 PGA Championship. Australian activists also strongly protested against Player. In 1971 there were several threats to protest against Player at tournaments though they never came to fruition. In October 1974, Australian activists screamed at Player, "Go home, racist!", as he was lining up a putt on the 72nd hole in a tournament he had a chance to win.
In a 1987 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Player disavowed the system of apartheid, stating, "We have a terrible system in apartheid ... it's almost a cancerous disease. I'm happy to say it's being eliminated. [...] We've got to get rid of this apartheid." In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Player discussed his early support for apartheid stating that the South African Government had "pulled the wool over our eyes" and that the people were "brainwashed" into supporting these policies.
Views on golf
In July 2007, Player made statements at the Open Championship golf tournament about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in golf. He alleged that at least ten players were "taking something", citing human growth hormone, steroids and creatine as possible substances. Both the PGA Tour and European Tour were in the process of introducing random testing programmes at the time.
In June 2016, in an interview with bunkered.co.uk, Player branded as "laughable" a report released by the R&A and USGA governing bodies which said that driving distance in golf was only increasing minimally. He warned of a "tsunami coming" due to the governing bodies' failure to address issues surrounding new golf technology. After the 2017 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Player reiterated these comments, taking to messaging service Twitter to say he was sad to see the Old Course at St Andrews "brought to her knees" after Ross Fisher broke the course record on a day of very low scoring during the final round.
Distinctions and honours
On 8 June 1961, Player was the guest on NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. In a comedy skit, he gives Tennessee Ernie Ford a golf lesson.
Received the 1965 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Award.
Received the 1966 Bob Jones Award from the United States Golf Association.
Named Honorary Member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in 1994.
Received Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from University of 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 for exceptional achievement) in 2003 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.
Professional wins (159)
PGA Tour wins (24)
PGA Tour playoff record (3–10)
European Tour wins (4)
European Tour playoff record (0–2)
Southern Africa Tour wins (20)
Southern Africa Tour playoff record (2–0)
PGA Tour of Australia wins (2)
PGA Tour of Australia playoff record (0–1)
Other European wins (10)
Sources:
Other South African wins (39)
1955 East Rand Open
1956 East Rand Open, South African Open
1957 Western Province Open
1958 Natal Open
1959 East Rand Open, Natal Open, South African Professional Match Play Championship, Transvaal Open
1960 Natal Open, South African Masters, Transvaal Open, Western Province Open, South African Open
1961 Transvaal Open (Dec.)
1962 Transvaal Open
1963 Liquid Air Tournament, Richelieu Grand Prix (Cape Town), Richelieu Grand Prix (Johannesburg), Sponsored 5000
1964 South African Masters
1965 South African Open
1966 Natal Open, Transvaal Open, South African Open
1967 South African Masters, South African Open
1968 Natal Open, Western Province Open, South African Open
1969 South African PGA Championship, South African Open
1971 General Motors Open, South African Masters, Western Province Open
1974 Rand International Open
1986 Nissan Skins Game
1988 Nissan Skins Game
Other Australasian wins (17)
Sources:
Other wins (11)
1955 Egyptian Matchplay
1965 World Series of Golf, NTL Challenge Cup (Canada), World Cup of Golf, World Cup of Golf Individual Trophy
1968 World Series of Golf
1972 World Series of Golf
1977 World Cup of Golf Individual Trophy
1979 PGA Grand Slam of Golf (shared title with Andy North)
1983 Skins Game
1986 Fred Meyer Challenge (with Greg Norman - team shared title with Peter Jacobsen and Curtis Strange)
Senior PGA Tour wins (22)
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (5–2)
European Seniors Tour wins (3)
European Seniors Tour playoff record (1–0)
Other senior wins (6)
1987 Northville Invitational (United States), German PGA Team Championship
1997 Dai-ichi Seimei Cup (Japan)
2000 Senior Skins Game (U.S. – 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 was retroactively recognised by the PGA Tour Champions as a senior major in 2018.
Major championships
Wins (9)
1Defeated Nagle in 18-hole playoff; Player 71 (+1), Nagle 74 (+4).
Results timeline
CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1970, 1980, 1981 and 1985 Open Championships)
WD = withdrew
"T" = indicates a tie for a place.
Summary
Most consecutive cuts made – 37 (1970 PGA – 1980 Masters)
Longest streak of top-10s – 6 (1962 PGA – 1964 Masters)
Results in The Players Championship
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Senior major championships
Wins (9)
1Defeated Charles in 18-hole playoff; Player (68), Charles (70).
2Defeated Bland with a birdie on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.
Results timeline
1The Senior Open Championship was not a Champions Tour major until 2003, though it was on the European Seniors Tour. Player won the event three times prior to this recognition.
CUT = Missed the half-way cut
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
"T" = tied
Team appearances
World Cup (representing South Africa): 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 (winners, individual winner), 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977 (individual winner)
Slazenger Trophy (representing British Commonwealth and Empire): 1956
Chrysler Cup (representing the International team): 1986 (captain), 1987 (captain, winners), 1988 (captain), 1989 (captain), 1990 (captain), 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 (winners)
Dunhill Cup (representing South Africa): 1991
Alfred Dunhill Challenge (representing Southern Africa): 1995 (non-playing captain, winners)
UBS Cup (representing the Rest of the World): 2001 (captain), 2002 (captain), 2004 (captain)
Insperity Invitational – Greats of Golf: 2012 (winners), 2014 (winners), 2015 (winners), 2017 (winners)