89 years young, Gary Player is still one of the fittest golfers in the world. He has time and again proven that even at an advanced age, he can still keep up with the best in tournaments. The 9x major winner has shared his journey with the community on a few occasions in the past. “Age is just a number,” said a fan when they saw Player running the treadmill earlier this year. And he had already proved that when he competed with golfers much younger than him at the 2024 PNC Championship.
The South African legend was a part of the iconic trio alongside Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, who put golf on the map in the 60s. He was also the face of the sport in his home country, representing South Africa in the Golf World Cup an incredible 16 times. Player also holds an exceptional record at Augusta National. Nearly 50 years after his last Masters win, he is still incredibly proud of his achievements in the tournament.
The crew of the No Laying Up podcast gave us a glimpse at how passionate Gary Player still is about his record in the Green Jacket event. In the latest episode on YouTube, Chris ‘Soly’ Solomon shared their recent interaction with Player at Augusta National. Coming up to a group of hosts from the podcast, the 89-year-old legend picked up a conversation with “Hey! What an experience! Every time I walk off this course, I take a piece of grass and I just eat it,” as he bent down picking a piece of the grass and putting it in his mouth. The exclamations might seem like an exaggeration, but Soly’s impression of Player warranted them.
The analyst mentioned how no one provoked the golf legend to act this way. Player continued to scream, “Three wins, three seconds, top 10 fourteen times, most number of cuts, 67 visits, most number of times played in the Championship,” as he flaunted his record. Silly Soly questioned, “Yeah, but who’s counting?” to which he received a loud response from the legend saying, “I am!” Someone from the group further questioned him, “How do you feel?” Player immediately replied, “Like a lion!”, as he “thumps his abs” as confirmed by Neil.
Solomon continued his impression of the Johannesburg local: “90 years old strong! All my friends are dead! I tell my friend, Lee Trevino, I’ve beat my age 3,339 times and today is 3,340.” This received a hilarious response from Supermex as he said, “What’s so impressive about that? You got to shoot 17 over to beat it.” The enthusiasm of Gary Player made Soly and the others chuckle as he mentioned, “That’s just how he is 24/7,” complimenting the legend’s energy.
Neil jumped into the conversation again as he stated, “he’s a menace” before describing how hard Player thumped his abs and how incredibly fit he actually is. Soly then mentioned how the other groups at Augusta National also were treated to the same routine. Well, most of it. Player didn’t go around eating grass in front of everyone, as confirmed by the reporters of No Laying Up. Neil elaborated on how the legend put up the same act for three different groups of people as if it were a stand-up bit. He also mentioned how it’s not an actual two-way interaction with Player; it’s just a bit that he pulls in front of everyone. In fact, after completing the standup act, the 24x PGAT winner didn’t even say goodbye to everyone. As Neil Schuster mentioned, “he just walked off.”
Golf – The Masters – Augusta National Golf Club – Augusta, Georgia, U.S. – April 8, 2021 Honorary starters Lee Elder of the U.S. with South Africa’s Gary Player during the ceremonial start on the first day of play REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
The incredible interaction with Gary Player might remain a lifetime memory for all of them. But this is not the first time the Black Knight’s actions have won hearts. He has been in the news a few times in the past months. Let’s see how Player is living it larger than life.
Gary Player’s incredible life at 89
To say Gary Player is living an incredible life would be an understatement. The golf legend is far more energetic and passionate at 89 than many are in their 20s these days. Player has been turning heads with everything he has been up to recently. Soon after his 2025 PNC Championship appearance, the South African’s love life came to light. Fans were thrilled to learn that Gary Player had found love again at nearly 90 years of age.
Through friends and associates, Player met New Yorker, Susan Waterfall, some time ago. The two had been linking up for a few months before the 9x major winner confirmed that he had finally found love again. But his current relationship status didn’t affect his love for his late wife, Vivienne Verwey. Player paid respect to Vivienne on Valentine’s Day by posting a picture of the two of them with their children when all of them were younger. The post was captioned, “All you need is love, just look what it can grow into GP.” He also regularly posts pictures with his incredible family where he is seen enjoying get-togethers or playing with his grandchildren.
After everything you have learned, do you also find inspiration in leading your life like Gary Player even when you grow older? Let us know in the comments section.
The post ‘All My Friends Are Dead’: Gary Player Makes a Strange Impression After Returning to Augusta National at Age 89 appeared first on EssentiallySports.
