Gary Player, the South African and three-time Masters winner, spoke with Back9Network correspondent Cheyenne Woods this week at Augusta National.
Player, who will join Big Three friends Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer for the ceremonial first tee shot on Thursday, talks about his Masters record, his greatest memory at Augusta and one regret.
Player played in the Masters on 52 occasions (36 years in a row) and made 23 straight cuts — both records.
The Black Knight won three green jackets during his career at Augusta and finished second three more times. Overall, Player recorded 15 top-10 finishes at the first major of the year.
Here’s a brief snippet of his Masters resume:
- Player’s first Masters win, in 1961, was his second major championship triumph. He won the British Open in 1959. In winning, Player was the first non-American player to win the Masters.
- In 1974, Player earned the second green jacket of his career. He entered Sunday trailing the leader by one stroke, but was able to come back and secure a two-shot victory over Dave Stockton and Tom Weiskopf.
- Player’s third Masters title came in 1978, and it occurred in thrilling fashion. He was seven shots back through 54 holes before shooting a sizzling 64 on the final day to defeat Rod Funseth, Hubert Green and Tom Watson by one stroke.
- Overall, Player finished his PGA Tour career with nine major championship wins.
Get a look at the Big Three at Augusta National over the years!
