History of Gary Player in Timeline

Gary Player is a South African retired professional golfer, considered one of the greatest ever. He achieved a career Grand Slam by age 29, becoming the only non-American at the time to win all four majors. He won nine major championships on the regular tour and nine on the Champions Tour. Player has won over 160 professional tournaments across six continents over seven decades. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

November 1935: Gary Player Born

On November 1935, Gary James Player was born. He is a South African retired professional golfer.

Others born on this day/year

January 1957: Marriage to Vivienne Verwey

On January 19, 1957, Gary Player married Vivienne Verwey, sister of professional golfer Bobby Verwey.

1957: First Masters appearance

In 1957 Gary Player first participated in the Masters.

1959: British Open Win at Muirfield

In 1959, at age 23, Gary Player won the British Open at Muirfield after double-bogeying the last hole.

1961: First International Winner of Masters

In 1961, Gary Player became the first international winner of the Masters Tournament.

1961: Led PGA Tour money list

In 1961, Gary Player led the U.S. based PGA Tour money list.

1962: Masters Playoff Loss and Green Jacket Incident

In 1962, after losing a playoff in the Masters to Arnold Palmer, Gary Player took the green jacket home to South Africa, unaware of the rule that it should remain at the club.

1965: Completion of Career Grand Slam

In 1965, Gary Player completed the Career Grand Slam at the age of twenty-nine.

1965: U.S. Open win and Career Grand Slam

In 1965, at the age of 29, Gary Player won the U.S. Open, becoming the only non-American to win all four majors in a career, achieving the Career Grand Slam. He was the youngest to achieve this feat at the time.

1966: Support for Apartheid in Book

In 1966, Gary Player espoused support for the apartheid policies of Hendrik Verwoerd in his book "Grand Slam Golf".

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1966: Awarded Bob Jones Award

In 1966, Gary Player was awarded the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association.

1968: Inception of McCormack's world golf rankings

From the inception of Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in 1968 until 1981, Gary Player was consistently in the top ten.

1969: Ranked second in McCormack's world golf rankings

In 1969, Gary Player was ranked second in Mark McCormack's world golf rankings.

1969: Protests Against Player

In 1969, activists publicly demonstrated against Gary Player's espousal of apartheid, including protesting at the PGA Championship.

1970: Missed Halfway Cut at Open Championship

In 1970, Gary Player missed the halfway cut at the Open Championship, which involved a 3rd round cut.

1970: Ranked second in McCormack's world golf rankings

In 1970, Gary Player was ranked second in Mark McCormack's world golf rankings.

1971: Threats of Protests

In 1971, there were several threats to protest against Gary Player at tournaments.

1972: Ranked second in McCormack's world golf rankings

In 1972, Gary Player was ranked second in Mark McCormack's world golf rankings.

1973: World Match Play Championship Win

In 1973, Gary Player held the record for most victories in the World Match Play Championship, with five wins.

1973: Absence from the Masters due to surgery

In 1973, Gary Player missed the Masters tournament as he was recovering from surgery.

October 1974: Protest in Australia

In October 1974, Australian activists screamed at Gary Player, "Go home, racist!", while he was lining up a putt during a tournament.

1974: Won two major championships in the same season

In 1974, Gary Player became one of the few golfers in history to win two major championships in the same season.

1974: Accusations of cheating at the Open

In 1974, Gary Player faced accusations of cheating at the Open Championship; he has strongly denied the accusations.

1974: Inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame

In 1974, Gary Player was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

1978: Last Masters Win

In 1978, Gary Player won the Masters, overcoming a seven-stroke deficit in the final round with a back nine of 30.

1979: Lexington PGA Championship Shortened

In 1979, the Lexington PGA Championship was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.

1980: Missed Halfway Cut at Open Championship

In 1980, Gary Player missed the halfway cut at the Open Championship, which involved a 3rd round cut.

1981: Missed Halfway Cut at Open Championship

In 1981, Gary Player missed the halfway cut at the Open Championship, which involved a 3rd round cut.

1981: End of Top Ten Ranking

In 1981, Gary Player's streak of being in the top ten of Mark McCormack's world golf rankings ended, a streak that began in 1968.

1983: Establishment of Blair Atholl Schools

In 1983, The Player Foundation established the Blair Atholl Schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, providing educational facilities for over 500 students.

1983: Establishment of The Player Foundation

In 1983, The Player Foundation was established by Marc Player.

1983: Accusation of cheating by Tom Watson

In 1983, at a skins game in Arizona, Tom Watson accused Gary Player of cheating by moving a leaf from behind his ball.

1984: Second Place at PGA Championship

In 1984, at the age of 48, Gary Player finished in second place at the PGA Championship.

1985: Missed Halfway Cut at Open Championship

In 1985, Gary Player missed the halfway cut at the Open Championship, which involved a 3rd round cut.

1987: Disavowal of Apartheid

In a 1987 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Gary Player disavowed the system of apartheid.

1989: GTE North Classic Shortened

In 1989, the GTE North Classic was shortened to 36 holes due to rain.

1991: Record Equaled in World Match Play Championship

In 1991, Seve Ballesteros equaled Gary Player's record of five wins in the World Match Play Championship.

1998: Oldest Golfer to Make the Cut at the Masters

In 1998, at the Masters, Gary Player, at the age of 48, became the oldest golfer to make the cut, breaking a 25-year-old record.

2000: Player hosted Nelson Mandela Invitational golf tournament

From 2000, Gary Player hosted the Nelson Mandela Invitational golf tournament staged by Black Knight International.

2000: "Sportsman of the Century" in South Africa

In 2000, Gary Player was voted "Sportsman of the Century" in South Africa.

2000: Ranked eighth greatest golfer of all time

In 2000, Golf Digest magazine ranked Gary Player as the eighth greatest golfer of all time.

2002: Golf Course Design in Burma

In 2002, Gary Player designed a golf course in Burma, which later led to controversy.

2002: Second Greatest Global Golfer

In 2002, Gary Player was voted as the second greatest global golfer of all time by a panel conducted by Golf Asia Magazine.

2003: Captain of International Team for Presidents Cup

In 2003, Gary Player was the non-playing captain of the International Team for the Presidents Cup, held on a course he designed.

2003: Senior Open Championship Recognition

In 2003, the Senior Open Championship became a Champions Tour major, though Gary Player had already won the event three times on the European Seniors Tour.

2004: Record Lost in World Match Play Championship

In 2004, Ernie Els won the World Match Play Championship for the sixth time, surpassing Gary Player's previous record of five wins.

2005: Reappointed as Captain for Presidents Cup

In 2005, Gary Player was reappointed as captain for the Presidents Cup; his team lost to the Americans.

2005: Acknowledged as world's most traveled athlete

In 2005, it was estimated that Gary Player had "probably flown further … than any athlete in history", logging more than 26 million km in air travel.

2006: Launch of "Gary Player - A Global Journey" exhibition

In March 2006, The "Gary Player – A Global Journey" exhibition was launched by the World Golf Hall of Fame.

July 2007: Statements on Performance-Enhancing Drugs

In July 2007, Gary Player made statements at the Open Championship golf tournament about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in golf.

October 2007: Controversy over golf course design in Burma

In October 2007, media attention arose about Gary Player's involvement in the 2002 design of a golf course in Burma, leading the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund to withdraw its support.

2007: Captain again for Presidents Cup

In 2007, Gary Player was appointed to captain the International Team again for the Presidents Cup, where the United States won.

April 2009: Last appearance in the Masters

On April 10, 2009, Gary Player played for the last time in the Masters, marking his record 52nd appearance.

July 2009: Competed in Senior British Open Championship

At age 73, on July 23 2009, Gary Player competed in the Senior British Open Championship at Sunningdale Golf Club.

July 2011: Invited as Honorary Starter for Masters

On July 5, 2011, Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters announced that Gary Player had been invited to join Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer as an honorary starter.

December 2011: Gary Player Design selected as finalist

In early December 2011, Gary Player Design was selected among the finalists of an official RFP for the 2016 Summer Olympics golf course in Rio de Janeiro.

2012: Reunion as Honorary Starter at Masters

Starting with the 2012 tournament, the Big Three (Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer) were reunited as honorary starters at the Masters.

July 2013: Nude Photo in ESPN The Magazine

In July 2013, Gary Player, at age 73, became the oldest athlete to pose nude in ESPN The Magazine's annual Body Issue.

2013: The Player Foundation's 30th anniversary

In 2013, The Player Foundation celebrated its 30th anniversary with charity golf events, bringing the total funds raised to over US$60 million.

June 2016: Player criticizes golf's governing bodies

In June 2016, Gary Player criticized a report by the R&A and USGA, calling it "laughable" for suggesting minimal increase in driving distance in golf, and warned of a "tsunami coming" due to the failure to address new golf technology.

2016: Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

In 2016 golf was accepted back into the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

2017: Player comments after the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

In 2017, after the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Gary Player used Twitter to express his sadness about the Old Course at St Andrews being "brought to her knees" after Ross Fisher's record-breaking low score.

2018: Senior British Open Recognised as Major

In 2018, the Senior British Open was retroactively recognised by the PGA Tour Champions as a senior major.

2019: Last Gary Player Invitational

In 2019, the Gary Player Invitational, previously known as the Nelson Mandela Invitational, was staged for the last time at the Sun City Resort.

January 2021: Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

On January 7, 2021, Gary Player was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by United States President Donald Trump.

August 2021: Death of Vivienne Player

In August 2021, Vivienne Player, Gary Player's wife, passed away due to cancer.

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