Legends Series - Gary Player

Legends Series - Gary Player

Gary Player, born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1935, is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport. Player, along with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, was considered one of the “big three” of his era. From the early 1950’s through the 1970’s, golf enjoyed tremendous growth in popularity and viewership worldwide, largely thanks to the efforts and performances by these three men.

About The Man

Player was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and that is where, at the age of 14, he played his first round of golf at the Virginia Park golf course. In the very first round of golf he ever played, Player parred the first three holes. Player would go on to turn professional just three years later at the age of 17.

Four years after turning pro, Player married Vivienne Verway (sister of professional golfer Bobby Verway.) Together the couple has six children. Early in his career it was not uncommon to see Player travel from tournament to tournament with his wife, six children, a nanny, and a tutor in tow.

The fact that Player included his family in his travels is even more impressive when one considers just how much the man traveled. It is estimated that Player has traveled over 25 million kilometers through the duration of his career. He is considered to be the most widely traveled athlete of any professional sport in history.

Through the course of his travels, Player has managed to win at least 165 professional tournaments on six different continents, over six decades. Player was inducted to the professional golf Hall Of Fame in 1974.

Major Tournament Record

Just as impressive as the quantity of tournaments that Player has won, is the quality of the tournaments that he has won. Player is one of just five golfers to have achieved the career Grand Slam, winning each of the four major tournaments at least one time. The only others who can boast such an accomplishment are Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. Overall, Player has claimed nine major tournament victories, ranking him 4th all time in that category.

Major Wins By Tournament

U.S. Open 1 (1965)
PGA Championship 2 (1962,1972)
Open Championship 3 (1958, 1968, 1974)
Masters 3 (1961, 1974, 1978)

Off The Course

Gary Player is much more, however, than just one of the greatest golfers of all time. He is a remarkably successful businessman, author, golf course architect and more. Players business interests are represented by Black Knight International.

Just a few of these interests include Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate, The Player Foundation, Gary Player Academies, and Black Knight Enterprises. In addition, Player has written or co-authored 36 books on golf. Gary Player and Gary Player Design have executed over 325 projects in 35 countries on six continents.

Mr. Fitness

Along with "The Black Knight", another of Player’s nicknames is “Mr. Fitness.” Player has been a pioneer in the sport with regards to health, fitness and diet. Player was one of the first professional golfers to place a serious emphasis on health and conditioning as a way to improve his game, paving the way for many of today’s professional golfers.

Husband, father, businessman, author, architect…..golfer. Gary Player is a man who wears many hats, and wears them all with tremendous skill, class, and ultimate, success.

By Dan Cole

 

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