1962 PGA Championship

The 1962 PGA Championship was played at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Locked in another down to the wire finish, Gary Player won the first of his two PGA Championships by one stroke ahead of runner-up Bob Goalby for the third of his Major titles and the third leg of his career Grand Slam.

1978 Masters

The 1978 Masters Tournament saw 42-year-old Gary Player create one of golf’s most memorable comebacks. He overcame a seven-shot deficit going into the final round to win his third Masters and ninth Major Championship. Player shot a record-tying 64 (−8) in the final round to win by one stroke over runners-up Rod Funseth, Tom Watson and 54-hole leader Hubert Green. He had to wait nearly one hour for the final group to finish.

1986 Senior PGA Championship

Gary Player turned 50 in November 1985, which of course gave him a whole new professional career to look forward to as the Champions Tour was well up and running. Having won his first event, the Quadel Seniors at Boca Grove, Florida, Player was looking forward to 1986, his first full year on the Champions Tour (or Senior Tour as it was known as then).

The PGA Seniors Championship was the second event of the year and Player was feeling very good about his game.

An opening 68 on a brisk Thursday morning at Champions course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens got him an early lead in the tournament – a lead that he was able to hold onto throughout the event. He managed another 68, then a 77 and ended with a seven-shot lead over Lee Elder. Though Elder managed to pull within two shots, a 72 to his 71 in the final round was enough for Gary Player to clinch his first senior Major Championship!

1988 Senior British Open

Gary Player came to the Senior British Open at Turnberry in Scotland having had a reasonably successful Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes just the week before, so he was keen to do well.

He had been playing very well on the Champions Tour in 1988 and took that confidence into the first round at the Ailsa course at Turnberry, opening with a five-under par 65. This gave Player the tournament lead, which he was able to hold onto throughout, despite some fine golf from a charging Billy Casper.

The final round was typically blustery, but two good birdies on the 12th and 16th allowed the Black Knight to win his first Senior Open Championships by one shot over Billy Casper.

1988 Senior PGA Championship

By the start of the 1988 season Gary Player had been playing on the senior circuit for two full seasons and had eight victories. Significantly, three of those victories were Majors, which was a great thrill for him.

PGA Senior Championship was once again played Palm Beach Gardens in Florida at PGA National’s Champions Course. While the early going belonged to New Zealand lefthander Bob Charles, his relatively quiet 2nd round allowed others in the field to come within reach, including Arnold Palmer in a group of three just three shots behind.

At the end of a very windy 3rd round, Chi Chi Rodriguez and al Geiberger had the lead at 213 and, following a 73 and 72, Gary Player had come within one shot of the leaders. In the final round, he hit one of his best four-irons ever to just inches short of the cup on the 8th, and with the leaders struggling at the 8th and 9th, I never trailed after that. Birdies at the 14th and 16th followed and I ended up winning my second PGA Senior Championship by three shots.