As we left October behind and entered the home stretch to the New Year, one of the game’s great players celebrated his 74th birthday. Entering into this world on November 1st 1935, he became one of only five men to record the career Grand Slam, but as Gary Player chalked off another year but declared he still had so much left to do.
Player, who has played professional golf for more than 50 years and designed more than 300 golf courses worldwide was the winner of nine major championships in total, as well as nine Champions Tour majors and more than 160 wins worldwide. Known as ‘The Black Knight’ due to his penchant for black clothing and aggressive style when playing competitively, he is renowned for his health-conscious lifestyle and passion for fitness which he attributes to his career longevity.
He is married to Vivienne – his wife of almost 60 years – and he has six children and twenty-one grandchildren.
During his peak, Player was regarded as one of the ‘Big Three’ alongside fellow legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus and together they contributed much to bringing the game into the sporting foreground.
Earlier this year at Augusta, Player made his final US Masters appearance.
Now, despite still committed to competing in seniors events, Player has a bustling business empire with his golf course design company, his charity work and sponsors’ corporate outings as well as his racehorse stud farm, situated in the desert area of the Karoo in central South Africa where he breeds thoroughbred racehorses.
For Player, retirement is not yet in sight.
Congrats to Gary Player, an absolute legend of the game. His vast contributions to the game added huge amounts to it’s global appeal.