It’s a “Union of Golf and Giving”, and Gary Player perfected them both when he led his team to victory in the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola at The Lost City Golf Club on Sunday November 23.
Player and his team of former Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena, businessmen Michael Zamkow and David Blue won Africa’s premier charity tournament by six strokes on 29 under par.
The respective teams of professionals, Padraig Harrington and Ian Woosnam, shared second place on 23 under par.
Team Harrington had led by four shots going into Sunday’s final round. But a remarkable effort by Player to break his age by 11 shots individually and marshal his team through a morning of rain before the sun appeared, saw the tournament host on the winning team for the first time in the 15-year history of this event.
“I felt like a young man out there today. It was such a thrill for me to play that kind of golf,” said Player. “There is always a challenge in this game. I’ve just been invited to a big tournament in Hawaii in January, so this couldn’t have come at a better time.
“But I’m just so thrilled at the response we’ve had this year, raising so much money. And I want to thank our sponsors for supporting us for so many years, and our participants who gave so generously of their time and money for charity.”
Player’s teammates were in awe of his performance on Sunday. “He’s an incredible person and it was an honour for me to be a part of this,” said Mokoena, who made his debut in the tournament. “I came from humble beginnings, so I know exactly how powerful these kinds of events are for the underprivileged.”
And both Zamkow and Blue were full of praise for how Player led their team. “He’s an unbelievable competitor,” said Zamkow. “He pushed us all the way. We went through the rain and the sun, and he just never gave up. He putted superbly and he never stopped encouraging and helping us,” said Zamkow.
“He’s a true sportsman,” added Blue. “He was just so positive out there. No matter what we did, he just kept motivating us. I’ll be back to defend this title next year, that’s for sure.”
As he walked off the 18th green, Player’s wife Vivienne hugged her husband as she’s done so many times throughout one of the greatest careers in the history of golf. And Player responded by handing her the silver baobab trophy that goes to the winning team.
“She said it’s such an iconic trophy, because it’s so typically African, and she has always wanted it in our trophy cabinet at home,” said Player.
For a Grand Slam champion who owns every Major trophy in the game, this one will indeed take up a special place in the Player household.
