A tough look for Mr. Player.
PublishedNovember 6, 2025 10:05 AM EST•UpdatedNovember 6, 2025 10:05 AM EST
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Gary Player recently shared his belief that the Ryder Cup should be abolished. Days after calling for arguably the biggest event in all of golf to be scrapped, he’s attempting to backtrack on his direct comments with quite the spin zone while patting himself on the back in exhausting fashion.
The nine-time major champion turned 90 on November 1, and as part of his birthday celebrations, he spoke with various outlets reflecting on his storied life and career.
While talking about the importance of diet and exercise in a Q&A with Golf Digest, Player got on the topic of alcohol being a “killer,” which then led him to bring up fan behavior at the 2025 Ryder Cup in New York, and things unraveled quickly.
“Everybody is drinking. I don’t know if you noticed the Ryder Cup this year. Everybody is using the ‘F’ word. I’m just going to digress for a minute. The reason why the Ryder Cup should be scrapped, I’ll tell you,” Player said.
He wasn’t done there; he then doubled down when directly asked if he was calling for the end of the Ryder Cup.
“Yes, I would like to see them abolish it, and I’ll tell you why,” Player began. “Nobody loves golf more than me, but I love golf to such an extent that I sat there and cringed. The whole world was watching and all you heard was ‘F’ this and ‘F’ that and you see people misbehaving.”
So, just to recap quickly, Player was quoted by one of the most reputable golf media companies on Earth, saying the Ryder Cup should be “scrapped” and then stated he would “like to see them abolish it.” Player is far from the only one to issue a cause for concern about the fan behavior at this year’s Ryder Cup, but calling for the event to end entirely is a whole different topic of conversation.
Gary Player claims he doesn’t actually want the Ryder Cup to be abolished. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)
Six days after the Q&A was published, Player issued a lengthy clarification, claiming he never stated he wanted to see an end to the Ryder Cup.
“It has been brought to my attention that recent media reports have stated that I wish to see an end to the Ryder Cup competition – nothing could be further from the truth! I hold its organizers, the PGA of America and the Ryder Cup Europe, in the highest regard,” Player’s statement began.
Apparently, Player’s definitions for ‘abolish’ and ‘scrap’ are different from everyone else’s on the planet.
“My comments about the Ryder Cup were intended to be a warning that this great tournament is at risk of coming to an end if the recent behaviour in New York is allowed to continue, or even worse, escalate further at future events,” his statement continued.
Look, people say dumb things, especially people who have lived for nine decades, and there is no denying that Player said a very dumb thing in this instance. However, issuing a non-apologetic statement while pinning blame on the media and readers who ‘misinterpreted’ your direct quotes is ludicrous.
Player is one-of-one, from both a career accomplishment and personality standpoint, but even this is a bit much from him, which says a lot about a guy whose son was caught trying to sell golf balls on the first tee at Augusta National.
