Player, Gary

Gary Player, in full Gary Jim Player, byname the Black Knight, (born November 1, 1935, Johannesburg, South Africa), South African who was one of the world’s best professional golfers in the post-World War II era. He was the third man (after Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan, both of the United States) to win the four major tournaments composing the modern golf Grand Slam.

In 1955 Player entered competition on the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America circuit of tournaments, and in 1961 he was the leading winner of prize money on the circuit. His international record, unsurpassed by any golfer, was a tribute to his remarkable fitness and love of competition. Player was an integral part of the popularization of golf in the 1960s, as his weekly competitions with fellow golf stars Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer showcased the sport being played at its highest level. His nine career wins at the major tournaments—the Open Championship (British Open; 1959, 1968, 1974), the Masters (1961, 1974, 1978), the PGA Championship (1962, 1972), and the U.S. Open (1965)—are the fourth highest total in golf history (tied with Hogan). He also won the South African Open 13 times, the Australian Open 7 times, and the World Series of Golf 3 times (1965, 1968, 1972).

In addition to his professional golfing career, Player in the 1980s launched a successful career as a golf course designer. In 1985 he began competing on the Senior PGA Tour (later renamed the Champions Tour), and he retired from tournament golf in 2009. Three years later Player received a lifetime achievement award from the PGA. In 2021 he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom.