Gary Player - The Legend

CBS Sports Special Investigates Remarkable Career of Gary Player

May 1, 2007 | Filed Under: General News   

In a professional golf career that has spanned more than five decades, Gary Player has seen and accomplished more than he ever could have imagined as a youth growing up in South Africa.

He has traveled more than any athlete in history, piling up more than 14 million miles. He has captured 163 titles worldwide, including nine major championships, and is one of only five men to compete the career grand slam. He reached a personal milestone two weeks ago by competing in his 50th Masters, a testament to his endurance and legendary dedication to physical fitness. He also has become a highly successful thoroughbred race horse-breeder and golf course architect. And, he is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, for which he serves as Global Ambassador.

“Gary Player: Good Guys Wear Black” is a one-hour special airing at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, May 6 on CBS that chronicles the remarkable career of the man known as the Black Knight, who is slight in stature but a giant in heart and determination. But more so, it will show that as global as his career has been, Player’s greatest impact has been right at home in South Africa.

Years ago, Player became a critic of Apartheid at the height of its repression, though he still suffered the consequences of guilt by association as an athlete from South Africa. But he did more than simply speak. Recognizing the desperate need for improved educational facilities in his home country, he established the Gary Player Foundation and created the Blair Atholl Schools, a nursery and primary school outside Johannesburg that, to this day, serves more than 500 underprivileged children.

Produced by PGA TOUR Productions, “Gary Player: Good Guys Wear Black” visits his homeland and the impact Player has had within the country. It also visits the family compound and ranch and offers rare, behind-the-scenes footage of Gary Player, his family, friends and competitors.

It documents how he became a prominent member of golf’s Big Three with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, and how he became a trailblazer for other international golfers to play the PGA TOUR. The special also follows his record 50th appearance at the Masters in April.

“In many ways, much of the credit for the growth of the game internationally, has to be given to Mr. Player,” said Stu Nicol, PGA TOUR Vice President of Broadcasting & Programming. “His infectious enthusiasm for travel and his continued desire to play against the best players in the world has paved the way for today’s stars . . . many of whom have followed his path.”

Follow the remarkable career of Gary Player at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, May 6 on CBS.

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