July 30, 2009 — Gary Player and his wife, Vivienne, felt shivers down their spine when they arrived in Scotland for the recent Gary Player Invitational at Archerfield. The shivers had nothing to do with the colder climbs but to the thrill of being back in the so-called Home of Golf. “The Scots are so knowledgeable and so friendly,” said the South African.
Player held this year’s GPI tournament at Archerfield by way of celebrating the 50th anniversary of his Open championship win at the adjacent Muirfield. On July 6th, he played over Muirfield itself just after a press breakfast where he was called upon to talk about everything under the golfing sun.
With reference to the1959 Open, which he won at the tender age of 23, Player remembered believing from the start he could come out on top, after all, he was playing well and was fully fit.
By then, as he explained to the journalists, he had a regular fitness routine in place for six years whilst all the time adhering to a sensible diet. The three-time Open champ made cheerful reference to how his fellow professionals would scoff at the way he went about his business but, in true Player style, he refused to let even the most mischievous of comments get to him. “Like Tiger,” he said, “I did things differently. I did everything I could to make the best of myself.”
As one would expect, the conversation at the breakfast party eventually turned to who was the greatest player in the history of the game. Player stated Hogan was the finest striker he ever saw, before going on to question how much more the great man would have won had he not been involved in a near-fatal car crash in 1949 and missed out on a series of majors during the war years.
Player also set the writers thinking on the subject of Jack Nicklaus versus Tiger Woods. If Jack had known what Tiger was going to accomplish, was it not possible he would have added a few majors to his 18-strong haul just to make it more difficult for the younger man to catch him?
At noon on July 7th a shot-gun start began the day at Archerfield for the latest in a regular series of Gary Player pro-ams, which have raised over $30 million for underprivileged children around the world. Player, who was revelling in the panoply of colours across the summer links, played the short seventh with each group in turn. When it came to Lynn Kenny, a professional on the Women’s European Tour, he offered a spot of advice which was maybe not the best news from her male playing companions’ point of view: Where previously, they had been edging past Kenny off the tee, they thereafter had to watch her drives finish out in front – with all hitting from the same tee boxes. “Gary,” explained Kenny, “got me to make a more emphatic turn through the ball.”
After the match all were back on a level playing field for a gala evening replete with all the Scottish trimmings: haggis, bagpipes, and traditional plaid kilts. Whilst the links outside were flanked with pines, the banquet room was flanked by participants pining over trips to South Africa, The Open Championship and other exciting experiences. This rousing auction was led by English rugby union footballer, Martin Bayfield, who spurred the bowmen of the evening to fill The Player Foundation quiver with well over $175,000 for children’s charities.
Next stop on the GPI world tour: China, followed by the USA and wrapping up with Player’s home of South Africa.
Contact:
Pat Norton
pat@oncoursegolf-pr.com
+1 203 454 0232
www.garyplayer.com
