Golf icon Gary Player delivered a strong message of hope as he celebrates his 79th birthday tomorrow with enthusiasm and energy befitting someone decades to his junior.
Recognised as a global humanitarian for his charity work, the Grand Slam champion is celebrating his birthday in China as part of his global tour with the Gary Player Invitational (GPI) series.
The GPI series, staged by Black Knight International, travels to the USA, Europe, China, South Africa, and Abu Dhabi in order to raise funds for The Player Foundation and its many charity beneficiaries around the world. Since 1983, The Player Foundation has raised nearly $60 million to aid underprivileged children. The event in China will be played at the Shanghai Links Golf Club from 3-4 November to support the Zhejiang Xinhua Compassion Education Foundation in providing meals for children in the rural areas of the country.
As his birthday is spent in preparation of the Chinese leg of the widely successful charity series, South Africa’s most successful sportsman has often been called the most positive man in golf for his optimistic and cheerful views on life, which translated well to the golf course with Player accumulating 165 worldwide victories.
Following his many achievements on the golf course, Player has vowed to use his success in order to make an impact.
“What we have done across the world with The Player Foundation has truly been one of my greatest accomplishments,” said Player. “Over the past 31 years, it is incredibly rewarding to give hope and create a brighter future for children in need.”
The 2014 GPI series will conclude in South Africa later this month and Player especially sees this as a sensitive time for his home country amidst the economic challenges facing the country.
“It has been a difficult time for us as a country, but we’ve faced many challenges before and our success has always been the unity this creates amongst ordinary South Africans who remain determined to make this country the miracle it is,” an emotional Player said from China.
Player’s passion for his country once again shined through as he spoke of his greatest wish at this time.
“I’ve lived through so many changes in South Africa, from the breaking down of Apartheid to the new democracy led by our greatest leader, Nelson Mandela. And through it all, I’ve seen how resilient South Africans are,” said Player. “My own career was built around what South Africa made me as a person. I had no more exceptional talent than the next man, but growing up in South Africa taught me how to work hard and go after your dreams and believe in yourself. Now is the time to keep that miracle alive and keep working to make this country great.”
Player continues to be hopeful for the future and will have much to celebrate in the coming year. In addition to the continued work of the GPI series to fund the bountiful works of The Player Foundation, the Black Knight is set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of clinching the Grand Slam. The anniversary is a significant milestone as Player became the only international golfer to achieve golf’s greatest feat of winning each of golf’s four Major Championships.
After asking Player what he is most looking forward at the age of 79, his response was simply, “Life. It is a beautiful thing. I’m anticipating another fantastic year and have no intentions of slowing down anytime soon.”
For more information on the Gary Player Invitational, visit www.garyplayerinvitational.com and follow @GPInvitational on Twitter – #GOLFandGIVING
ABOUT GARY PLAYER
Gary Player, often referred to as the Black Knight, symbolizes all that world class golf is or was ever intended to be. A champion in every sense of the word, he has won 165 professional tournaments worldwide and through the philanthropic efforts of his foundation generated nearly $60 million dollars for the education of underprivileged children. Player, a master of the game, and a world leader in golf course design is credited with shaping more than 325 courses worldwide.
When Gary Player won the US Open in 1965 at age 29, he became only the third golfer to win the Grand Slam, following Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen. Since then, only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have added their names to this elite group. Player has, to date, won nine major championships on the regular PGA Tour and nine on the Senior or Champions Tour. He is a three time President’s Cup Captain and in 2000 received South Africa’s Sportsman of the Century Award.
In addition to his 40 years of golf course design, Player currently serves as the Global Ambassador to the World Golf Hall of Fame and holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from St. Andrews University. His legendary career and humanitarian endeavors have been acknowledged by numerous awards, including the 2012 PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2006 PGA Tour Payne Stewart Award, and the 2003 Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Player has circled the globe in pursuit of sporting events, and after journeying over 15 million miles, or 25 million kilometers, he is widely recognized as The World’s Most Traveled Athlete™. When not traveling to or from sporting events, Player divides his time between the South African stud farm, where he has bred over 2000 winning thoroughbred race horses, and his residence on Jupiter Island in Hobe Sound, Florida.
ABOUT BLACK KNIGHT INTERNATIONAL
Established in 1983 by Marc Player, Black Knight International is a global holding company for The Player Group and the constantly expanding family of Gary Player® brands. With a powerful presence in North and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Black Knight is a multicultural and multilingual company offering branded services for the leisure and real estate industries. This rapidly growing firm is diverse and infused with the same tenaciousness and drive as Gary Player, world renowned iconic golfer. The holding company divisions include: Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate, Black Knight Enterprises, Black Knight Solutions, Black Knight Capital, Gary Player Academies, and The Player Foundation.
ABOUT THE PLAYER FOUNDATION
The Player Foundation was established in 1983 by Marc Player. What began as an effort to provide education, nutrition, medical care and athletic activities, for a small community of disadvantaged children living on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa has now blossomed into an organization that circles the globe bringing aid to underprivileged children and impoverished communities.
The Foundation is funded primarily by four Gary Player Invitational events presented through Black Knight International. Pairing celebrities and professional golfers from the PGA and Champions Tours with businessmen and international sports figures, the annual tournaments are staged in the United States, China, Europe and South Africa. The proceeds of these tournaments and other special events provide funding for an ever- expanding number of institutions around the world, including the Blair Atholl Schools in South Africa, the Pleasant City Elementary School in Palm Beach, the Masizame in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, and AIDS infected children in Baoshan, a drug-infested city located on the China-Burma border. Since its establishment, The Player Foundation has donated nearly $60 million dollars to the support of children’s charities, the betterment of impoverished communities and the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the world.
Gary Player, acknowledged as a world-class humanitarian, believes that the strength of our future depends upon the abilities of our children. “I have found that the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others does not thrust itself upon us,” Player says, “But we do not need to look hard for it either. When you spot the chance to give back to the world, act on it. You will have made life better, for others, and for yourself.”
The Gary Player Foundation is a non-profit 501 C (3) organization managed by Black Knight International in Palm Beach, Florida.
About Zhejiang Xinhua Compassion Education Foundation
The NGO’s main area of concern is that children in rural China often go to school with an empty stomach because they do not have the money for breakfast. This causes them to be malnourished and affects both their mental concentration and physical body growth.
As education is seen as a way to improve one’s standard of living and help them to break out of the poverty trap, it is necessary for children to have enough nutrition especially when young. To solve that issue, Zhejiang Xinhua Compassion Education Foundation has launched a “One Child One Egg” program that ensures that schooling children get an egg a day for breakfast to provide them with the necessary nutrients for mental and physical growth. The program covers 4 main mountainous areas in China namely Huizhou, Gansu, Sichuan and Anhui.
Since its establishment in 2007, the Zhejiang Xinhua Compassion Education Foundation has assisted over 29000 students; built over 120 libraries and over 340 Elementary Schools. The foundation distributes over 7500 eggs each day in the One Child One Egg Program.
The charity is supported by Taiwanese Actress and Singer, Rene Liu and rock-band, Mayday and has recruited and earned the support of countless compassionate sponsors from China, Taiwan, and the US.
Contact:
Meagan Fester – Black Knight International
meagan@garyplayer.co.za
+27 21 448 7777
Grace Vine – Black Knight International
grace@garyplayer.com
+1 864 477 2720
