Gary Player

Lore & Background

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. He married Vivienne 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. Vivienne died of cancer in August 2021. In 2020, Player won a legal battle against the Gary Player Group, awarded $5 million and the rights to his name and likeness. The Gary & Vivienne Player Foundation (established after Vivienne’s passing 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.

In Their Own Story

The August sun hung low over the 18th green, painting the rough in amber. Player stood over his final putt, the Masters green still damp from morning dew, the flagstick a thin white line against the sky. He had been chasing this hole all week—through the bunkers at 14, the long carry at 15, the cruel crosswind at 17. His caddie, quiet as always, set the bag down and stepped back. Player exhaled, squared his shoulders, and let the putter fall through the line. The ball rolled, kissed the edge of the cup, and dropped. He did not celebrate. He simply nodded, picked up his putter, and walked toward the clubhouse where two other men—two rivals, two friends—were already waiting with their arms open. The Big Three had their moment, and the gallery roared as if the whole of golf had held its breath for one long, perfect stroke.

Reader's Guide

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. He is one of only six players to win golf's 'career Grand Slam', completing it in 1965 at age 29. He led the PGA Tour money list in 1961 and accumulated 24 career Tour titles. 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. Player was the only player in the 20th century to win the British Open in three different decades. In 1974, he became one of the few golfers to win two major championships in the same season. Player last won the Masters in 1978, coming from seven strokes behind in the final round. In 1984 at age 48, he nearly became the oldest ever major champion, finishing second at the PGA Championship. 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 has occasionally been accused of cheating, particularly in the 1974 Open; he has strongly denied the accusations. He never played in the Ryder Cup; he was non-playing captain of the International Team for the Presidents Cup in 2003, 2005, and 2007.

Did You Know?

• Player became the tournament's first international winner when he won the 1961 Masters.
• After winning the 1961 Masters, Player took the green jacket home to South Africa, leading to a call from club Chairman Clifford Roberts.
• In 2000, Player was voted 'Sportsman of the Century' in South Africa.
• In July 2013, Player became the oldest athlete ever to pose nude in ESPN The Magazine's annual Body Issue.
• Player has logged more than 26 million km (16 million mi) in air travel, possibly more than any athlete in history.