Height: 5'7"
Born: 11/1/1935
Residence: Palm Beach, FL | Tour Wins: 163
Turned Pro: 1953
Official Website: www.garyplayer.com |
Did you know?DID YOU KNOW:
Known as the Black Knight, Mr. Fitness and the International Ambassador of Golf, Gary Player is one of the most successful international golfers of all time. A 1974 inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame, Player has 163 career wins. He completed the grand slam at the age of 29 in 1965 and won nine major titles in his career, including three Masters (1961, 1974, 1978), three British Opens (1959, 1968, 1974), two PGA Championships (1962, 1972) and the US Open (1965). His transition to the Senior PGA Tour was marked by just as much success. Player has three Senior PGA Championships (1986, 1988 and 1990), two Senior U.S. Opens (1987, 1988), three Senior British Opens (1988, 1990 and 1997) and the Senior Players Championship (1987). Winner of the South African Sportsman of the Century Award, Player is known for his great physical fitness. In 1998, he proved just how fit he was, when, at age 62, he became the oldest golfer to ever make the cut at the Masters, breaking a 25-year-old held by Sam Snead. Player is also a renowned golf course architect with more than 300 design projects throughout the world. He also breeds thoroughbred horses at Gary Player Stud Farm.
The Black Knight and Callaway Golf:
Gary Player joined the Callaway Golf Company in the spring of 2002. Having been a vocal supporter of Arnold Palmer's endorsement of the ERC Driver, Player was speaking words that were magic to Ely Callaway's ears. Mr. Callaway, Mr. Palmer, and Mr. Player all believed that the recreational golfer was the key to the growth of the game and the "Enjoyment of the Game". That support, along with a few philosophical discussions between Mr. Player and Mr. Callaway under the Oak Tree at Augusta National, convinced Mr. Callaway that Gary Player was a perfect ambassador for the company. Sadly, Mr. Callaway passed away before he was able to welcome Gary Player into the Callaway Golf family. A year later, after trying the equipment and determining it to be the best he had ever tested, Mr. Player agreed to a long-term representation agreement with Callaway Golf. Today, he continues to compete at a level that defies his age. He advises the Callaway Golf product development team and carries the spirit of Ely Callaway to every corner of the world.