As a nine-time major champion, Gary Player is more than well positioned to make a judgment on just what might be the best tournament of the lot.
Player won every major going in a glittering career that is still going strong today in terms of giving back to the game of golf.
The South African knows a thing or two about the game and is often seen giving tips, advice, and just his general experience to the next generations.
Listening to someone like Player is often a joy. As with players like Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino, the sheer depth of knowledge they possess – as well as an old school attitude of open and honestly assessing things – makes it interesting.
Indeed, Player has recently not held back in criticising Rory McIlroy but while that statement was a bit of a brash one, he has also given us some unique insight as well.
Photo by R&A via Getty ImagesGary Player names the best of the four majors
Having won all but the US Open multiple times, Gary Player certainly knows what it takes to get it done in golf’s biggest events.
Of course, Players’ biggest successes came both at The Masters and The Open, where he won three times.
However, for the man himself, there is one tournament of the four majors that stands above the rest.
“Obviously The Open for me by a mile. There is no tournament like The Open. It really burns them up in America when I tell them that,” Player admitted.
“The Open, they test you as a man. You get a morning tee time and the wind blows and in the afternoon it doesn’t blow. You can’t feel sorry for yourself.”
Asked to name his favourite courses The Open holds events at, Player named Carnoustie, St Andrews and Muirfield as his top three.
Coincidentally, Player won at both Carnoustie and Muirfield but never captured The Open at the home of golf, St Andrews.
Gary Player’s record in The Open Championship
While some are lucky to play in The Open just once in their career, Gary Player bucks the trend by appearing a whopping 46 consecutive times in the premier event.
Winning the event three times, Player only ever missed the cut twice before the 80s and even finished fourth on his very first Open appearance.
Gary Player at The Open Events played46Wins3Top tens12Cuts missed18Gary Player’s Open Championship record
He won the event in 1959, 1968 and then again in 1974 to cap a remarkable career. After his final win, he couldn’t quite ever hit the same heights and his best finish after that came with a T19 at the 1979 event.
Nevertheless, Player is synonymous with The Open and his record speaks for itself over six decades of competing in the event.
