Gary Player

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Player's dedication to fitness set him apart in an era when few golfers prioritized physical conditioning. He credited his ability to make the cut at the 1998 Masters at age 62—though he did not break Sam Snead's record (Snead made the cut at age 67 in 1979)—to his commitment to diet, health, practice and golf fitness. In July 2013, at age 73, 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. 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'. He has more victories than anyone else in the South African Open (13) and is tied with Jack Nicklaus for the most wins in the Australian Open (7).

In Their Own Story

At the 1978 Masters, Player started seven strokes behind 54-hole leader Hubert Green entering the final round. He 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 age 48, Player nearly became the oldest ever major champion, finishing second behind Lee Trevino at the PGA Championship. 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.

Reader's Guide

Player is one of only six players to win golf's 'career Grand Slam'—along with Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. He completed the Grand Slam in 1965 at age 29, at the time the youngest to do so, though Nicklaus (26) and Woods (24) later broke that record. Player competed regularly on the U.S. based PGA Tour from the late 1950s, led the Tour money list in 1961, and accumulated 24 career Tour titles. He was in the top ten of Mark McCormack's world golf rankings from 1968 until 1981, ranked second in 1969, 1970 and 1972, each time to Jack Nicklaus. Player was non-playing captain of the International Team for the Presidents Cup in 2003 and 2005. In 2000, Player was voted 'Sportsman of the Century' in South Africa.

Did You Know?

• Player was the first non-American to win the career grand slam, completing it in 1965.
• He has more victories than anyone else in the South African Open (13) and is tied with Jack Nicklaus for the most wins in the Australian Open (7).
• Player was one of only two players in the 20th century to win the British Open in three different decades, alongside Harry Vardon.
• At the 1998 Masters, at age 62, he made the cut but did not break Sam Snead's record—Snead remains the oldest to make the cut at age 67 in 1979.
• In 2021, Player was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by United States president Donald Trump.