Always at home in Augusta
Player was first international Masters champion
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Augusta always has been a special place for Gary Player.
The three-time Masters Tournament champion first came here in 1957, and along the way he became the first international player to win at Augusta National Golf Club.
This week, Player will match Arnold Palmer's record for most Masters appearances with his 50th start. It's a record that Player, 71, isn't taking lightly.
"I think the word that comes to mind to be able to be fit enough to play 50 times is you've got to be healthy, and one cannot take that for granted," Player said Monday.
It's no small feat that the South African has played so much at Augusta National, particularly when you consider what he did after his first Masters win in 1961.
The tournament winner each year receives a green jacket, and Masters protocol calls for it to be kept at the club and worn only on the grounds.
Player didn't know that, or so he claimed. After losing a playoff in 1962 to Arnold Palmer, he packed the jacket and took it to his home in South Africa. That led to a call from Clifford Roberts, who was a stickler for club rules.
"I didn't know you were supposed to leave it there," Player said. "Next thing you know, there was a call from Mr. Roberts."
According to Player, here's how the exchange went:
"'Gary, have you got the jacket?'
"I said, 'Yes, I do.'
"He said, 'Well, no one ever takes the jacket away from here.'
"And I said, 'Well, Mr. Roberts, if you want it, why don't you come and fetch it?'"
Roberts, who didn't lose many arguments, agreed to a compromise.
"He kind of chuckled and said don't wear it in public," Player recounted.
It's that kind of spirit that's made Player one of golf's greatest players and ambassadors.He's not afraid to try a gutsy shot, nor is he afraid to speak his mind.
Player looks like he could compete in another dozen or so Masters.
When asked Monday to describe his workout regimen, he stood up and slapped his stomach hard. The resounding thwack showed what 1,000 crunches with an 80-pound weight can do for the physique.
Monday was a special day for Player. After getting in a practice round with Brett Quigley and amateur Casey Watabu, he talked to the media for nearly an hour before hitting the fitness trailer for a planned 90-minute session.
The day culminated with Player being honored at the Mayor's Masters Reception at the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Botanical Gardens. He was given a key to the city by Mayor Deke Copenhaver.
Player, who's one of only five golfers to have won all four of golf's majors in his career, shows no signs of slowing down. He boasts of having traveled more than any other person, and a recent itinerary took him from Singapore to Japan to Hawaii to Houston to New York to Dubai to Abu Dhabi to West Palm Beach, Fla.
"When I first started, I said I wanted to have the best world record in golf," Player said.
He has accomplished that, and this week's Masters field reflects golf's globalization. A record 50 foreign players are expected to tee up Thursday, and they come from 20 different countries.
Player was coy about his future plans, but all indications are that he'll be back next year to break the impending deadlock with Palmer for Masters starts.
He already holds the record for the most British Open starts, and he wants to add the Masters to that list.
"I would definitely like to play next year to have the most Masters," he said. "Possibly next year could be my last."
He's adamant that he won't waffle once he desires to retire as a competitor.
"When I say that's my last, please, if I come and tee it up, steal the ball," Player said to laughter. "Take the ball off the first tee and run away with it."
Reach John Boyette at (706) 823-3337 or john.boyette@augustachronicle.com.
1961
Gary Player was the leading money winner on the professional tour through the first three months of the season, but defending Masters champion Arnold Palmer was getting all the attention.
Player took control with 69 in the third round to open a four-shot lead over Palmer, but he had to wait an extra day as heavy rain washed out Sunday's play. Finishing Monday, Palmer made the type of charge his fans had grown accustomed to and seized the lead on the back nine after Player found trouble on the par-5s.
Palmer came to the 18th hole with a one-shot edge, but he played a little too nonchalantly and pushed his approach into the greenside bunker. He bladed the shot across the green, then chipped back long.
Facing a 15-footer to save bogey and force a playoff, Palmer missed to give Player his first green jacket. The South African was the first foreign player to slip on the green coat.
"It was a very important thing because it gave encouragement for many to follow suit," Player said. "There's an international player who can do it. It was really not the desire then to play around the world."
1974
Player's reputation as a fitness fanatic is well-deserved, but even he had to miss five months in the 1973 season because of major surgery. That meant his streak of playing in the Masters was temporarily halted.
Coming in with little fanfare, Player quietly opened with a pair of 71s to put himself in contention. He roared to life in the third round, shooting 66 to vault into second place, one shot behind Dave Stockton.
Battling Stockton and Tom Weiskopf down the stretch, Player sealed the win with the shot of the tournament on the 17th hole in the final round. Facing a 140-yard shot, Player hit 9-iron to less than a foot to secure birdie and a two-shot win.
"I took the 9-iron, and after I hit it I kind of pushed it on the bag, and I told my caddie I'm not going to need a putter," he said. "And there it was, six inches from the hole."
1978
Player's most improbable victory in a major came at the Masters in 1978. Four years removed from his last victory on the PGA Tour, the 42-year-old came from seven shots behind in the final round to win his third and, in all likelihood, final green jacket.
He was five shots behind going into the final nine holes. A string of birdies at Nos. 10, 12, 13, 15 and 16 put Player in contention. A 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole completed a back nine of 30 to match the course record.
Rod Funseth, Tom Watson and Hubert Green all had chances to match Player, but each failed. Green had the best opportunity to tie, but his 3-foot putt for birdie on the final hole missed.
"Coming back in 30, actually touching the hole three times (with putts that didn't fall)," Player said, his voice incredulous. "If I had done that, they would have changed the course 20 years ago."
