JOHANNESBURG – Gary Player will celebrate his 80th birthday this Sunday amidst what has been a remarkable year and which promises to become even more memorable for the ageless icon of world golf.
Player turns 80 in a year in which he has celebrated the 50th anniversary of his Grand Slam victory and still graced magazine covers as the evergreen “Mr Fitness” of world golf.
“I’ve always said that everything we have is just on loan to us. I consider it a blessing to have had 80 years of such a wonderful and privileged life, and to have shared this with so many people,” said Player, adding that he felt more like 40 years old.
“I don’t feel 80 at all. I feel as strong and healthy as ever, and more inspired than ever to keep making a difference in this world.”
It has indeed been a special year for the Black Knight. Player was honoured with a birthday celebration at Soweto Golf Club in August where he enjoyed a heartfelt tribute by some of the pioneering golfers of South Africa.
And South Africa’s most successful golfer ever was also named as the captain of the inaugural South African Olympic golf team for the Rio Olympics next year.
Player has remained as active and relevant as ever with his charitable efforts through his global Gary Player Invitational series, which raises funds for disadvantaged children worldwide.
The 2015 series teed off in London in July, with the Berenberg Gary Player Invitational tournament at Wentworth raising $225 000 for DePaul, a charity helping to combat youth homelessness.
This was followed by the Berenberg Gary Player Invitational in New York in October, where a further $212 000 was raised for The Player Foundation.
The series will reach a thrilling climax at the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola in South Africa at the Lost City Golf Course from 12-15 November, which is expected to raise another record amount for charity.
The tournament will coincide with a special gala dinner to celebrate Player’s 80th birthday party at The Palace of the Lost City that week.
The Gary Player Invitational Series remains the world’s leading charity golf series and has raised more than R800 million for charities worldwide. The South African tournament will join the other global events in helping to meet The Player Foundation’s target of donating R1 billion by 2020 in support of children’s charities, the betterment of impoverished communities and the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the world.
The field for the South African tournament, including top professional golfers, business leaders and celebrities, will be announced in the coming weeks.
For more information on the Gary Player Invitational, visit www.garyplayerinvitational.com and follow @GPInvitational on Twitter – #GOLFandGIVING
ENDS
For more information please contact:
Bo Wood – Black Knight International
b.wood@garyplayer.com
+ 1 864 477 2720
Meagan Fester – Black Knight International
meagan@garyplayer.co.za
+27 21 448 7777
ABOUT GARY PLAYER
Gary Player has won 167 professional golf tournaments worldwide and is one of only five men to capture golf’s coveted career Grand Slam. He won nine Major championships on the PGA Tour and nine Major championships on the Senior Tour and is the only player in history to complete the career Grand Slam on both Tours
Off the course, Player has raised more than $60 million for underprivileged children’s education globally through the efforts of The Player Foundation; he has designed nearly 400 golf courses worldwide; he has bred more than 2000 winning racehorses on the Gary Player Stud Farm in South Africa; and in recognition of his achievements in golf as well as his dedication to charity, Player has received many awards including the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award and the PGA Tour’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He currently serves as the Global Ambassador to the World Golf Hall of Fame and has been dubbed the Black Knight, Mr. Fitness, and The World’s Most Traveled Athlete™ having travelled more than 25 million kilometers.
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