Gary Player

[Deleted member 15344]

Now this is one person who most certainly divided opinion throughout his history

Ignoring the look at me press ups etc etc

There appears a lot of “me me me” about him and when he joined the “honorary starters” he always seemed a bit of a fraud to be there

Then there is his issues within his home country

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....-player-history-south-africa-the-masters-golf

And then there is son who caused issues a couple years back and now been banned from Augusta for the blatent advertising of golf balls endorsed by Player - I have no doubt Imo that Player knew all about it

https://twitter.com/x/status/1381927943333670915

 

[IanM]

He did a sponsor's day at Bowood a few years back. He was very "full of himself" but actually once you cut through that, he was very interesting to listen to. I've worked in South Africa several times and culturally, they are far more direct that your average Brit, it can be taken the wrong way. (Cue our SA correspondent!) I am also sure all the golfers of his generation could and should have done more to change the game (and the World)

I guess Nelson Mandela's take on him in that article is good enough for me. Although, it is far enough down the piece for most to have stopped reading.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

He did a sponsor's day at Bowood a few years back. He was very "full of himself" but actually once you cut through that, he was very interesting to listen to. I've worked in South Africa several times and culturally, they are far more direct that your average Brit, it can be taken the wrong way. (Cue our SA correspondent!)

This applies to a few nationalities, Germans and Dutch included. Once you adjust your mindset it is okay but if you think like a Brit when dealing with people from countries with this manner they can be tough to like. Get past this and some can even be human

 

[pokerjoke]

Some people scour social media just looking for the worse in people,sad really.

 

[Marshy77]

Fraud to be there?

Pretty certain if I'd won what he's won I'd have a small McCain on my shoulder.

 

[IanM]

9 Majors.

Yep. He was rubbish!

 

[RichA]

This applies to a few nationalities, Germans and Dutch included. Once you adjust your mindset it is okay but if you think like a Brit when dealing with people from countries with this manner they can be tough to like. Get past this and some can even be human

May I add the Danes to your list?
Before I went to Copenhagen a few years ago, I learned some basic Danish to get by. They have no word for please, "because the Danes are so polite, the word is unnecessary."
That was not my experience.

 

[chrisd]

I saw him do an exhibition at the London Club some years back and, yes, he did do the 1m sit ups a day and all that, and he certainly was very outspoken but he did talk sense about longevity in the game through being fitter, and he was certainly that!

He was demonstrating how to play a par 3 strategy, said he'll hit a couple of shots at the one we were watching from and he slam dunked about a 160 yard hole in one - now that was a demonstration!

 

[MarkT]

I think I have the claim to fame of being the only person on the planet to render him speechless with this monstrosity. He tried to mutter something encouraging but even he couldn't get the words out..

Spent a day with him at Birkdale and his energy levels and story telling were ridiculous, some of what he said needed some fact checking but he had more about him than most. Glad his son's been turfed out though, that was a nonsense

https://twitter.com/x/status/1308157416505315333

 

[Hoganman1]

I've always liked Mr. Player but he is fairly high on himself. Also, I've read he can be a little loose with the rules of golf. I remember years ago when Tom Watson called him out for moving his ball during the Skins Game. Still he has been a great global ambassador for the game. I've learned over my 71 years to not expect perfection from our heroes.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

9 Majors.

Yep. He was rubbish!

Who called him rubbish ?‍

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think I have the claim to fame of being the only person on the planet to render him speechless with this monstrosity. He tried to mutter something encouraging but even he couldn't get the words out..

Spent a day with him at Birkdale and his energy levels and story telling were ridiculous, some of what he said needed some fact checking but he had more about him than most. Glad his son's been turfed out though, that was a nonsense

https://twitter.com/x/status/1308157416505315333

On a scale of 1-10 how crushed were you at that moment? Did you get another go and if so was it the obligatory smashed up the middle tee shot that follows something like that?

 

[Voyager EMH]

I’ve been watching and listening to Gary Player for a long time since he first appeared on the black and white telly in the 1960s as one of the Big Three. He was always the extrovert of the three and loved playing to the crowd which he has continued to do if you look at his lessons and demos on youtube. His three Masters victories, three Open victories and five World Matchplay victories make him the opposite of a fraud on the first tee at Augusta. He has been quite outspoken about his change in political and racial views from being a boy and a young man in South Africa to learning more about the outside world where his golf took him. His early views, he says, were a result of his upbringing and have changed a lot as he got older, wiser and learned more. Because of those early views, he is unlikely to ever be viewed as a perfect human being.
His last and 9th major win, the 1978 Masters at the age of 42, is for me, the best last day performance ever in my memory of the Masters. He was 7 shots behind the leader and had several of the world’s best ahead of him going into the final round. Last nine holes of 30 shots clinched victory by one shot. Highlights available to see on youtube - 1978 Augusta Masters.
That is what I remember about Gary Player the golfer. As for making a comment on Gary Player the man, I don’t feel qualified to do so – I will have leave that to Jack Nicklaus.

 

[garyinderry]

Big fan of gary player. Huge respect for what he has achieved and how he went about doing it.

Sad day when he goes for me.

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

I don't know what to make of him really as before my time. He was clearly a very very good golf and some bits seem reasonable but he also seems to carry some skeletons with reference to cheating particularly i think the 74 open and political views. Throw in things like his son's ambush marketing and you wonder whether it's a bit too self-centered/focused but then a lot of sports people are like that. I questions Jack's political choices with his support of Trump but he obviously comes across a lot softer and more considerate to others.

 

[Ethan]

He has attracted some negative image within the game for his desire to win, a la Patrick Reed.

 

[Voyager EMH]

I’ve been watching and listening to Gary Player for a long time since he first appeared on the black and white telly in the 1960s as one of the Big Three. He was always the extrovert of the three and loved playing to the crowd which he has continued to do if you look at his lessons and demos on youtube. His three Masters victories, three Open victories and five World Matchplay victories make him the opposite of a fraud on the first tee at Augusta. He has been quite outspoken about his change in political and racial views from being a boy and a young man in South Africa to learning more about the outside world where his golf took him. His early views, he says, were a result of his upbringing and have changed a lot as he got older, wiser and learned more. Because of those early views, he is unlikely to ever be viewed as a perfect human being.
His last and 9th major win, the 1978 Masters at the age of 42, is for me, the best last day performance ever in my memory of the Masters. He was 7 shots behind the leader and had several of the world’s best ahead of him going into the final round. Last nine holes of 30 shots clinched victory by one shot. Highlights available to see on youtube - 1978 Augusta Masters.
That is what I remember about Gary Player the golfer. As for making a comment on Gary Player the man, I don’t feel qualified to do so – I will have leave that to Jack Nicklaus.

Don't mention the politics. I did once, but I think I got away with it.

 

[Crow]

I like him, and my Slazenger Gary Player irons from 1962.

 

[Maninblack4612]

I've always liked Mr. Player but he is fairly high on himself. Also, I've read he can be a little loose with the rules of golf. I remember years ago when Tom Watson called him out for moving his ball during the Skins Game. Still he has been a great global ambassador for the game. I've learned over my 71 years to not expect perfection from our heroes.

I've read his autobiography recently. He adamant that he didn't cheat on that occasion. In fact, he didn't need to, it was a skins game & the hole was, as expected, halved & the skins carried over to the next hole (where he won them!)

And, unsurprisingly, he has no time for Tom Watson.

 

[Hoganman1]

I've read his autobiography recently. He adamant that he didn't cheat on that occasion. In fact, he didn't need to, it was a skins game & the hole was, as expected, halved & the skins carried over to the next hole (where he won them!)

And, unsurprisingly, he has no time for Tom Watson.

Well, that's good to hear. Watson had a few issues back then. I like Tom as well, but like I said; none of them are perfect.