“I’m averaging par at my age” – 87-year-old Gary Player says he can shoot his age with his ‘eyes closed’
South African golfer Gary Player believes that as he gets older, golf is becoming easier. He mentioned that he can hit a shot equal to his age with closed eyes.
Gary Player shot a 76 at the 2023 Masters and had faith he could still play the game extremely well. The 87-year-old golfer claimed that technology had simplified everything.
In a recent interview, Player opened up about his performance and gameplay. As quoted by Golf Monthly, he said:
“I could do that with my eyes closed. I don’t find anything tough (about playing golf) - in my prime I found it very tough - because now you’ve got a ball that goes 50 yards farther.
“You got metal heads. I don’t miss the fairway. I didn’t miss a fairway with one hand. I’m averaging par at my age. I beat my age usually by 15 shots. I average 73. It’s a completely, utterly different game. Nowhere near the same game," he added.
Gary Player also opened up about LIV Golf and stated that most of the players have joined the new series for money. He explained that golfers who moved from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf are the ones who believe they cannot win an event on the Tour.
“My father taught me - and he was a very poor man, but a very brilliant man - always respect the other man’s opinion. And that’s terribly important," Gary Player said.
“Whatever it may be, whether it’s politics, whatever the subject may be, respect the other man’s opinion. But just come out and say I’m joining it because of the money. Just be honest in life. Everybody’s entitled," he added.
"Winning this tournament is gratitude" - Gary Player on The Masters' tournament
Gary Player inaugurated the 2023 Masters' event earlier this month. Player has always taken their first shot at the game for years now. He continued the tradition and started the 2023 edition with his incredible shot of 76.
Speaking about the Augusta event, Player said as quoted by Golf Digest:
"A prevalent thing in winning this tournament is gratitude,” Player said, obviously intent on making a point to walk back his criticism of Augusta National. “To have the opportunity to play in a tournament of this stature and to meet people like President Eisenhower, being from a country that practiced apartheid; that was always a very big imprint on my life when you think of what a marvelous role he played.
"And then meeting Bobby Jones here as well, such a wonderful golfer, gentleman, maybe the best player that ever lived. He played with a walking stick and a ball that went 80 yards less than today. So I think the word is gratitude, just to be able to … particularly for me, this is my 65th appearance here, and you walk on the first tee, and you say, well, this might be the last one. So I think gratitude is the one for me," he added.
It is important to note that Gary Player has won three Masters in his career. The maximum was claimed by Jack Nicklaus, who won six.
Jon Rahm won the Masters in 2023 while LIV golfers Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka finished in second position.