Gary Player - The Legend

Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus Comment on this Year’s Laureus World Sports Awards Nominees at the GPI

Mar 08, 2005 | Filed Under: The Player Foundation

The Laureus World Sports Academy announced this year’s nominees at the ninth annual Gary Player Invitational in Palm Beach. The tournament venue, Floridian in Palm City, was selected as the official United States site for the global broadcast.

Palm Beach, Florida (Tuesday, March 8, 2005) - Before teeing off with VIP businessmen and pro golfers Robert Allenby, Tim Clark and Ian Baker-Finch, golf legends and Laureus World Sports Academy members Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus commented on a few of the nominees. Both had wonderful things to say about Annika Sorenstam, who deservedly has been nominated for Sportswomen of the Year for the second time in a row, as well as Michael Phelps and Lance Armstrong - both in the running for Sportsman of the Year.

The Black Knight and the Golden Bear, who were together for the first time since the tragedy in the Nicklaus family, also agreed the European Ryder Cup team had far stronger players this year and therefore it was no shock that the team beat the USA. As former and present Presidents Cup captains that know all about the job of leading a team, both Player and Nicklaus commended Bernhard Langer for the outstanding job he did with his Ryder Cup team. Jack Nicklaus finished up by congratulating the Boston Red Sox, who have been nominated for Team of the Year after sweeping the Yankees in the World Series, while Gary Player thanked the 500 plus journalists for voting and being a part of the Laureus World Sports Awards.

Tuesday’s announcement revealed the names of six nominees in each of the five award categories, including Comeback of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. The awards will be presented at the sixth annual Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony in Estoril, Portugal on May 16th, 2005.

Essentially the “Oscars of Sport”, the Laureus World Sports Awards is now recognized as the premier honors on the international sporting calendar and are unique in that they give tribute to the world’s best sportsmen and women for their achievements across all sports and all countries. The winners of each category are selected by the Laureus World Sports Academy, a group of 41 of the world’s most legendary sportsmen and women, who have all agreed to volunteer their time in an effort to recognize the powerful role sports plays in society.

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