SUN CITY, North West – The evergreen Gary Player issued a warning to his fellow competitors in this week’s Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola when he came through Friday’s official tournament pro-am at the Lost City Golf Club declaring his game to be in excellent shape.
“I played really well today. I’m fortunate in that I score an average of 70 when I play. Even on a bad day I beat my age by six shots,” said Player, who in November turned 80. “I feel grateful to have reached the age of 80 and still feel like 50.”
Friday’s official pro-am set the tone for a thrilling 36-hole tournament to come on the weekend and featuring a stellar list of sports stars, celebrities and business leaders. And all eyes will be on Player to see if he can defend the title he won in spectacular fashion here last year.
On that occasion, the Grand Slam champion broke his age by 11 shots in the final round as he led his team to a six-stroke victory on 29 under par, and his individual score on the final day beat three-time Major champion Padraig Harrington.
It was a moment witnessed by Aaron Mokoena, his playing partner and a participant again in this year’s Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola.
“It’s great to see him still so healthy, and I hope he does win it again because he has so much energy and it rubs off on us,” said the former Bafana Bafana captain.
“For me, winning is great. But the more important thing is just to be here again supporting this great cause and helping Gary in giving back. I have so much respect for the work he does for charity. To me he is like Nelson Mandela in a white skin.”
Olympic swimming champion Roland Schoeman can certainly appreciate Player’s longevity in his sport. Schoeman will seek to become the first South African to have competed at five Olympic Games as he hopes to qualify for Rio in 2016, and says Player’s dedication to fitness has inspired him.
“Gary is a living legend. You have to admire how he broke with the tradition of the time in his sport and started training with weights and took his fitness seriously. That’s why he can still be out here at the age of 80. He eats well and takes care of himself, and for me as an athlete that’s an inspiration.”
FIELD FOR THE GARY PLAYER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA
Gary Player
Wayne Player
Richard Sterne
Jean van de Velde
Thomas Levet
Emma Cabrera-Bello
Carly Booth
Danielle Montgomery
Ronan Keating
Mark Boucher
Aaron Mokoena
Brian McFadden
Johnathan Joseph
Graeme Smith
Roland Schoeman
Thomas Msengana
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
Michael Vlismas – Michael Vlismas Media
michaelv@iafrica.com
+27 72 242 8399
NOTES FOR EDITORS
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 R800 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.
ABOUT THE COCA-COLA COMPANY
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world’s most valuable brand, the company’s portfolio features 15 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, Vitamin Water, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, it is the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy its beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, the company is focused on initiatives that reduce its environmental footprint and which support active, healthy living; as well as creating a safe, inclusive work environment for its associates; and enhancing the economic development of the communities where it operates. Together with its bottling partners, the company ranks among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700 000 system associates. For more information, visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or visit our blog at www.coca-colablog.com
About the Beneficiaries:
WINGS AND WISHES
Wings and Wishes was started by staff at the Coca-Cola Sabco bottling company in Port Elizabeth to collect air-miles to transport critically ill children to receive super-specialist medical care.
WILDLANDS CONSERVATION TRUST
The Wildlands Conservation Trust has networks in 35 communities transforming the lives of South African waste-preneurs and tree-preneurs who grow over 600 000 trees and hand-collect over 3 million kilograms of recycled waste annually. The waste and trees are bartered for bicycles, building materials and food as part of the Wildlands’ vision to restore the ecosystems that underwrite the welfare of these communities.
Contact:
