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Golf Fans Line Up At Evans Market To Meet Champion

Apr 12, 2010 | Filed Under: General News   Share

Gary Player applies the same philosophy to making wine that made him a three-time Masters Tournament champion.

“It’s all about quality,” Player said Saturday as he signed bottles of his vintage Muirfield 1959 at the Vineyard Wine Market in Evans.

The store was packed with golf and wine fans an hour before Player was scheduled to appear. Nancy Morgan, of Evans, was among the people who stood in a line that extended out the door 30 minutes after Player started signing bottles.

“I’m a fan of anybody who’s played in the Masters,” Morgan said.

Player, dressed in his signature black, said there are many good players in the tournament this year, without naming exactly who he’s pulling for.

The Masters story at Saturday’s start was of the two Brits at the top of the leaderboard, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood. By the end of play Saturday, however, only Westwood remained on top. Player, a South African with three British Open victories, said that was commendable.

But “what matters is not who’s on the leaderboard halfway through the tournament but who comes out on top at the end,” he said.

Player, 74, said it was “remarkable” what Tiger Woods has done this year after not playing for four months. He applauded Woods’ ability to ignore the distractions of his personal life. Woods has been embroiled in a sex scandal since shortly after Thanksgiving.

Many of the people standing in line Saturday brought polo shirts, caps and jackets with the Masters logo for Player to sign. Player, nicknamed the Black Knight for his gentle demeanor and penchant for black, took time for a snapshot and quick chat with each patron. Several walked away commenting on “what a nice gentleman” he is.

While Player applies quality to both golf and wine-making, that’s about where the comparisons end. Player said he drinks in moderation, but that doesn’t work in golf.

“You have to practice like an animal” to be successful on the links, he said.

The Augusta Chronicle
Kyle Martin, Staff Writer
Saturday, April 10, 2010

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