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Victory: 1974 Masters
Gary hit his nine iron shot on the seventy-first hole of the 1974 Masters to within one foot of the pin.…
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Are “The International” Players Taking Over Golf?
Aug 1, 2011 |
Filed Under: General News
Darren Clarke’s victory at the British Open rekindled the talk about the USA losing its status as the premier nation on the world golf stage. Many are wondering if the recent dominance of the “international” players during majors is an omen for what is to come, but not so says Gary Player.
“Golf is a funny game. One day you feel like you can’t hit a bad shot and you never miss a putt and the next you are spraying the ball all over the place and you couldn’t hit the cup if it were 10 feet wide. That is the way I look at what is happening today. 
For the better part of 12 years Tiger dominated the Majors, Phil Mickelson was in his prime winning majors and you had a host of very strong US players. Then young guys like Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Graeme McDowell storm in and win Majors and Darren Clarke finally breaks through,” said Gary Player.
“The talk that the USA is in trouble because it has not produced a Major winner since Stewart Cink at the 2009 Open Championship is a bit overblown in my opinion. There are a number of world class US players and even though Tiger Woods has gone through a lot of personal problems and injuries he is still one of the best players in the world. Golf is a great equalizer and it is only a matter of time before the USA sees its players hoisting Major trophies again.”
“The thing that is being overlooked is that golf is now a truly international sport and it is fantastic for the game. The last 10 major winners are from 5 different countries and KJ Choi won this year’s Player’s Championship. The game is growing globally and India, China and South America will drive the popularity even higher in the coming years. This is a great time for golf and I am very positive about its future,” he added.
Gary Player is the most successful international player of all time winning 165 tournaments on 6 continents over the course of his nearly 60 year professional career.
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