Gary Player

Once upon a time there was a young boy who was growing up in Johannesburg. His mother had died when he was just eight years old and his father spent long periods away from home working in the gold mines. Money was tight but the father somehow managed to get a loan in order to buy his son a set of golf clubs. This fourteen year old fell in love with golf and declared his intention to become the best player in the world. And you know what? He did!

Gary Player was born in Johannesburg on November 1, 1935, the youngest of Harry and Muriel's three children. They lived in the country where services and facilities were scarce, and it was an hour and a half walk just to get to school. This was to inspire him in later life, more of which in a moment.

At 17 he became a professional golfer. Clearly he had some natural talent. He was dedicated to the sport and travelled wherever he could to play in tournaments, something he continued to do all his career. In fact, it is said that he is the most travelled athlete in the history of the world, with over 14 million miles already under his belt. When he got married and started his family, his wife and children travelled with him too. He had six children in total and to date has become a grandfather no less than 18 times!

In 1959 when he was only 23 he won one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf - The Open Championship. This announced his arrival on the world stage and he went on to star in what is known as the Golden Era of golf. He, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer dominated golf in a time when it went global, largely thanks to extensive television coverage and clever marketing. He became known as The Black Knight because he only wore black clothes while playing, and this even became the logo for his various business ventures.

In total he won 163 professional tournaments, nine of which were major championships. He is one of only five players who have won all the major titles, the most recent player to do this being Tiger Woods. When he finally stopped playing he turned his attention to other things, most notably the Gary Player Foundation which he started in 1983. The aim of this foundation is to raise money to fund schools and education programs for underprivileged children around the world. Remember that he walked a three hour round trip for his school. To raise the money he organises golf tournaments, gala dinners and VIP events and the proceeds all go to helping give a lot of children the chance to get an education. On top of that he runs a successful business empire and is personally responsible for designing over 250 golf courses around the world. Oh, and he even finds time to play on the Champions Tour in America - not bad for someone in their seventies!