Player’s Fiftieth At Augusta

February 15, 2007

This year, Gary Player will mark his fiftieth appearance at The Masters. He won the event in 1961, becoming the first non-American to do so. He won again in 1974 and 1978. In all, he won nine majors and 163 tournaments. He’s the only player to have won the British Open in three different decades.

Perhaps even more important in this day and age: he recently celebrated his fiftieth wedding anniversary just before the MasterCard Championship in Hawaii..

And then the 71 year old Player went out and shot two rounds of 69 in that event.

I had the pleasure of watching Player at this past year’s Ford Senior Open in Dearborn, Michigan. While long past his prime—even by Champions Tour standards—you still could see glimpses of the youth. I wonder if there’s ever been a golfer who maximized his skills as much as Player.