JOHANNESBURG – For the first time in the history of the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola, host Gary Player will be joined by his son Wayne as part of the glittering array of sports stars, celebrities, professional golfers and business leaders set to take part in South Africa’s leading charity golf tournament.
Wayne Player joins a list of professional golfers including multiple European Tour winners Richard Sterne and Jean van de Velde who will tee it up at The Lost City Golf Course from 12-15 November.
They will be joined by a host of celebrities including world-renowned musicians Ronan Keating and Brian McFadden, radio and television personality Johnathan Joseph, former Proteas cricketer Mark Boucher and former Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena.
Wayne Player’s inclusion in this year’s tournament will make for an even more memorable event for his father, Gary, who will be honoured with an 80th birthday celebration prior to the tournament. And it will bring back memories of a time when they shared the fairways as fellow competitors in 1982.
When Wayne qualified for the U.S. Open that year, they became the first father-son duo to play in a U.S. Open and Open Championship the same year.
“I have always loved to watch my dad play golf and interact with other players, friends, fans, and business associates. His ability to strike a perfect one iron may have made him famous, but it is his ability to engage others in meaningful conversation and inspire them with his stories that endears him to millions,” said Wayne.
Sterne has been a long-time supporter of this union of golf and giving, while Van De Velde will be making their debut in the charity series.
The celebrities will all present a strong challenge for this year’s title.
Mokoena returns to defend a title he won with Player in 2014, and is looking forward to making another contribution to a series that has already raised more than R800 million for charities worldwide since its inception in 1983.
“Gary is an incredible person and it was an honour for me to be a part of the 2014 tournament. I came from humble beginnings so I know exactly how powerful these kinds of events are for the underprivileged.”
Boucher was on the winning team in 2003, while the trio of McFadden, Keating and Joseph have all finished second in this tournament before.
For more information on the Gary Player Invitational, visit www.garyplayerinvitational.com and follow @GPInvitational on Twitter – #GOLFandGIVING
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 six 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 more than $60 million 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.
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
Michael Vlismas – Michael Vlismas Media
michaelv@iafrica.com
+27 72 242 8399
