page_title: Gary Player
section_title: Background and family
hierarchical_section_title: Gary Player / Background and family
caption_attribution_description: 1961 Masters Golf Winner Gary Player with Wife Vivenne &amp; Mother Press Photo
context_page_description: Gary Player DMS, OIG is a South African retired professional golfer who is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers ever. During his career, Player won nine major championships on the regular tour and nine major championships on the Champions Tour. At the age of 29, Player won the 1965 U.S. Open and became the only non-American to win all four majors in a career, known as the career Grand Slam. At the time, he was the youngest player to do this, though Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods subsequently broke this record. Player became only the third golfer in history to win the Career Grand Slam, following Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen, and only Nicklaus and Woods have performed the feat since. He won over 150 professional tournaments on six continents over seven decades and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
  Nicknamed the Black Knight, Mr. Fitness, and the International Ambassador of Golf, Player is also a renowned golf course architect with more than 400 design projects on five continents throughout the world. He has also authored or co-written 36 golf books.
context_section_description: Player was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, the youngest of Harry and Muriel Player's three children. When he was eight years old his mother died from cancer. Although his father was often away from home working in the gold mines, he did manage to take a loan in order to buy a set of clubs for Gary to begin playing golf. The Virginia Park golf course in Johannesburg is where Player first began his love affair with golf. At the age of 14, Player played his first round of golf and parred the first three holes. At age 16, he announced that he would become number one in the world. At age 17, he became a professional golfer.
  Player married wife Vivienne Verwey (sister of professional golfer Bobby Verwey) on 19 January 1957, four years after turning professional. Together they have six children: Jennifer, Marc, Wayne, Michele, Theresa and Amanda. He also has 22 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchild. During the early days of his career Player would travel from tournament to tournament with his wife, six children, their nanny and a tutor in tow.
  His eldest son, Marc Player, owns and operates Black Knight International, which exclusively represents Player in all his commercial activities, including all endorsements, licensing, merchandising, golf course design, and real estate development.
  Gary Player is the brother of Ian Player, a notable South African environmental educator and conservationist who saved the white rhino from extinction.
  Gary Player is a supporter of Arsenal and Barcelona.
caption: Player with his wife (holding object) and her mother, who were his dedicated supporters at golf tournaments, 1961
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