Gary Player

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Image:Player 1999.jpg Gary Player (born November 1, 1935 in Johannesburg) is a South African professional golfer generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the game's history.

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Regular tour career

Player is one of the most successful golfers in the history of the sport, ranking first in total professional wins, with at least a hundred and sixty-six, and tied fourth in major championship victories with nine. Along with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus he is sometimes referred to as one of the "Big Three" golfers of his era; the era in question being one when golf boomed in the United States and around the world, much encouraged by television coverage. He is one of only five players to win golf’s "career Grand Slam" alongside Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, which he completed in 1965 at the age of twenty-nine. He was the second multi-time major winner from South Africa, following on from Bobby Locke, and succeeded by Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.

Player played regularly on the U.S. based PGA Tour from the late 1950s. He won the money list in 1961, and went on to accumulate twenty four career titles. He also played an exceptionally busy schedule all over the world, and he has been called the world's most travelled athlete, clocking up more than 14 million miles. He has more victories than anyone else in the South African Open (thirteen) and the Australian Open (seven). 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 a sixth time.

He was the only player in the 20th century to win the British Open in three different decades. Last won 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 came from seven strokes back in the final round to win the Tournament of Champions. In gusty winds at the 1998 Masters, became the oldest golfer ever to make to the cut, breaking the 25 year old record set by Sam Snead.

Being South African, Player never played in the Ryder Cup in which American and European golfers compete against each other, and 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. However, 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. He has been reappointed as captain for the 2005 Presidents Cup.

Player was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and "Gary Player - A Global Journey" exhibition launched by the Hall of Fame as of March, 2006

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Senior tour career

Won his first Champions Tour event taking the 1985 Quadel Seniors Classic in his debut. Top 10 on the Champions TOUR money list from 1986-1990. Outdueled Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino for his third Senior PGA Championship title in 1990. Largest paycheck of his career came at a Champions TOUR event winning $202,500 at the 1989 RJR Championship. Five-time winner in 1988 including the PGA Seniors and U.S. Senior Open. Won back to back titles in 1997 at the Senior British Open and the Shell Wentworth Masters...Became the second oldest winner on the Champions Tour by shooting three consecutive rounds of 68 to capture the 1998 Northville Long Island Classic. Captained the UBS Cup with Arnold Palmer in November 2001 and 2002.

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Other activities

Gary Player Stud Farm has received worldwide acclaim for breeding top thoroughbred race horses including 1994 English Derby entry Broadway Flyer. Operates The Player Foundation with its primary objective to promote education around the world.Has raised over $100 million since 1980. The Foundation built the Blair Atholl Schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, which has educational facilities for over 500 students from kindergarten through grade 8 and is currently working on additional educational projects around the world.Adopted Pleasant City Elementary School in West Palm Beach in 2005. Renowned golf course architect with over 200 design projects throughout the world. Operates Black Knight International which includes, Gary Player Design,Real Estate,Player Equipment, Gary Player Academy and Gary Player Enterprises, aspects of which include event management, licensing, publishing, videos, apparel, and memorabilia.

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Championships Won

Player has won over 160 professional events worldwide, including:

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PGA Tour wins

24 wins:

Major championships are shown in bold.

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Other regular wins

In addition to his wins on the PGA Tour, Player won more than 100 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: 5 times between 1959 and 1976

PGA Tour of Australasia
18 wins between 1956 and 1981 including:

Other
At least 20 other wins between 1955 and 1984, including:

Player also collected wins in North and West Africa, Canada, Japan and Latin America.

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Champions Tour wins

Senior majors are shown in bold. See "Other senior wins" below for Player's wins in the Senior British Open.

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Other senior wins

  • 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)

The Senior British Open is shown in bold as it is generally recognised as a major and it is now an official Champions Tour event and major. However it was not an official Champions Tour event 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 restrospectively designated as Champions Tour wins by the PGA Tour at this time.

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Results in major championships

Tournament 1956 1957 1958 1959
The Masters DNP T24 CUT T8
U.S. Open DNP DNP 2 T15
The Open Championship 4 T24 7 1
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
The Masters T6 1 2 5 T5 T2 T28 T6 T7 T33
U.S. Open T19 T9 T6 T8 T23 1 T15 T12 T16 T48
The Open Championship 7 WD CUT T7 T8 WD T4 T3 1 T23
PGA Championship DNP 1 T8 T13 T33 T3 DNP DNP 2 DNP
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
The Masters 3 T6 T10 DNP 1 T30 T28 T19 1 T17
U.S. Open T44 T27 T15 12 T8 T43 T23 T10 T6 T2
The Open Championship CUT 7 6 T14 1 T32 T28 T22 T34 T19
PGA Championship T12 T4 1 T51 7 T33 T13 T31 T26 T23
Tournament 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
The Masters T6 T15 T15 CUT T21 T36 CUT T35 CUT CUT
U.S. Open CUT T26 CUT T20 T43 DNP DNP DNP CUT CUT
The Open Championship CUT CUT T42 CUT CUT CUT T35 T66 T61 CUT
PGA Championship T26 T49 CUT T42 T2 CUT DNP DNP DNP DNP
Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
The Masters T24 CUT CUT 60 CUT CUT CUT CUT 46 CUT
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
The Open Championship CUT T57 CUT CUT CUT T68 CUT CUT CUT CUT
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
The Masters CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
The Open Championship CUT CUT DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
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Miscellanea

  • Dubbed the Black Knight, Mr. Fitness and the International Ambassador of Golf
  • Player bred the racehorse Broadway Flyer which competed in the 1994 Epsom Derby.
  • 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-NEC 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
  • 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.
  • Player's nickname is "The Black Knight"
  • He was featured on a South African stamp.
  • Has designed over 200 golf courses 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.
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See also

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External links

nl:Gary Player no:Gary Player sv:Gary Player

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