Gary Player

Biography

Gary Player was golf's first true global citizen. While Americans dominated at home, the Black Knight traveled everywhere, winning 165 tournaments on six continents. Nine majors included the Career Grand Slam, completed at the 1965 U.S. Open. What set him apart was the fitness obsession - in an era when golfers smoked cigarettes between shots, Player ran, lifted weights, and counted every calorie. At 5'7" and 150 pounds, he couldn't overpower courses, so he outworked everyone. The work ethic extended to everything: he designed courses, raised horses, ran businesses. He's still doing pushups in his 80s. The smallest man in golf's pantheon may have had its biggest engine.

Career Highlights

• 9 Major championships
• Completed Career Grand Slam
• 165 tournament wins worldwide
• Won PGA Tour events in 5 different decades
• Black Knight - fitness pioneer in golf

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