Gary Player facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gary Player DMS OIG
Player in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Gary James Player
Nickname	The Black Knight, Mr. Fitness
Born	(1935-11-01) 1 November 1935 (age 89) Johannesburg, Union of South Africa
Height	5 ft 6 in
Weight	150 lb (68 kg; 11 st)
Nationality	South Africa
Residence	Jupiter Island, Florida, U.S. Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
Spouse	Vivienne Verwey ​ ​ (m. 1957; died 2021)​
Children	6
Career
Turned professional	1953
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour Southern Africa Tour Champions Tour
Professional wins	159
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	24
European Tour	4
Sunshine Tour	20
PGA Tour of Australasia	2
Champions Tour	22 (Tied-7th all-time)
European Seniors Tour	3
Other	63 (regular) 6 (senior)
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 9)
The Masters Tournament	Won: 1961, 1974, 1978
U.S. Open	Won: 1965
The Open Championship	Won: 1959, 1968, 1974
PGA Championship	Won: 1962, 1972
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	1974
PGA Tour money list winner	1961
Southern Africa Tour Order of Merit winner	1976–77, 1979–80
PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award	2012
GCSAA Old Tom Morris Award	2020

Gary James Player (born 1 November 1935) is a retired professional golfer from South Africa. Many people think he is one of the greatest golfers of all time. Over his long career, he won nine major championships, which are the biggest tournaments in golf. He also won nine major championships on the senior tour for players over 50.

Player is famous for winning the career Grand Slam. This means he won all four of golf's major championships. He was the first non-American to do this. He was also known by cool nicknames like "The Black Knight" and "Mr. Fitness." Besides playing, he has designed over 400 golf courses around the world.

He also started The Player Foundation to help children with their education. In 2021, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a high honour in the United States.

Early Life and Family

Player with his wife Vivienne (holding object) and her mother in 1961. They were his biggest supporters at tournaments.

Gary Player was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was the youngest of three children. He decided to become a professional golfer when he was just 17 years old.

In 1957, he married Vivienne Verwey. They had six children together and often traveled as a family to tournaments all over the world. Vivienne passed away in 2021. Player's brother, Ian Player, was a well-known conservationist who worked to protect the environment in South Africa.

A Champion's Career

Gary Player is one of the most successful golfers in history. He is tied for fourth place for the most major championship wins.

The Big Three

Player was part of a famous group of golfers known as "The Big Three." The other two were Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. From the 1950s to the 1970s, they were the best golfers in the world. Their exciting games helped make golf very popular on television.

Winning the Grand Slam

A career Grand Slam in golf means winning all four major tournaments: the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship (also called the British Open), and the PGA Championship.

Player completed his Grand Slam in 1965 when he won the U.S. Open. He was 29 years old at the time. He was only the third person in history to achieve this, after Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.

A World Traveler

Player was known as the world's most traveled athlete. He played in tournaments on six continents over seven decades. It is estimated he flew more than 26 million kilometers (16 million miles) during his career.

He won the South African Open 13 times and the Australian Open 7 times, which are records.

Amazing Victories

Player was the only golfer in the 20th century to win the British Open in three different decades (1959, 1968, 1974).

One of his most famous wins was the 1978 Masters. He started the final day seven shots behind the leader. But he played an amazing final round, making birdies on seven of the last 10 holes to win by one shot.

Player at the Fancourt Golf Resort in South Africa, which he designed.

The Green Jacket Story

Winners of the Masters Tournament get a special green jacket. They are supposed to return it to the Augusta National Golf Club the next year.

When Player won his first Masters in 1961, he didn't know this rule. He took the jacket home to South Africa! The club chairman had to call him to ask for it back. Player said, "I didn't know you were supposed to leave it there."

Views on Apartheid

Apartheid was a system in South Africa from 1948 to 1994 that separated people by race. In his early career, Player made statements that supported this system. This led to protests against him at some tournaments.

However, Player's views changed over time. In a 1987 interview, he called apartheid a "terrible system" and a "cancerous disease." He said that the government had "pulled the wool over our eyes" and that people were "brainwashed" into supporting it. He was happy to see it end.

Honours and Legacy

Gary Player has received many awards for his amazing career and his work off the course.

• In 1974, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
• In 2000, he was voted "Sportsman of the Century" in South Africa.
• He received the Bob Jones Award in 1966 for his great sportsmanship.
• In 2003, South African President Thabo Mbeki awarded him the Order of Ikhamanga for his contributions to golf.
• In 2012, he received the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award.
• In 2021, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Player played in the Masters Tournament a record 52 times. His last appearance was in 2009. He continues to inspire people with his dedication to fitness and health.

Major Championship Wins

A major championship is one of the four most important tournaments in men's professional golf.

See also

In Spanish: Gary Player para niños

• Career Grand Slam champions
• List of men's major championships winning golfers