Gary Player – A Golfing Legend

Voted “Sportsman of the Century” in South Africa

“If there is one thing that is perfectly clear to me after thirty-five years of working with the greatest athletes, golfers, and businessmen in the world, it is that everyone feels pressure.  The great competitors actually learn to perform better in pressure situations than in casual ones.  But even the best will occasionally choke and then have to relearn their lessons.  It is not something you ever master or own.  There is no sense in trying to learn all of the lessons of life the hard way – from our own personal experience.  It is much more efficient to learn from the experience of others who have been successful in competitive situations”.

“Who better to have as a teacher than one of the greatest golfers of all time, a man with a reputation for being fiery, tough and resilient – Gary Player?  Gary had to work hard and earn everything he has achieved.  Nothing came easily or readily to him.  Most of what he achieved came through self-discipline, perseverance, and determination”.

Foreword to Publication ‘Gary Player Don’t Choke’

Dr Bob Rotella, Sports Psychologist and best-selling author

Extracts from:

‘Gary Player Don’t Choke – A Champion’s Guide to Winning Under Pressure’

Gary Player is one of the true legends of golf, amassing victories in 164 tournaments around the globe over five decades, including eighteen Major championships and the career Grand Slam.  His business interests are represented by Black Knight International and range from course architecture and race horses to real estate and wine.  Player also oversees The Player Foundation, a charitable organization that promotes education for underprivileged children throughout the world.  He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and was voted “Sportsman of the Century” in South Africa in 2000.  Born in South Africa, he divides his time between his ranch in the Cape and his home in Jupiter Island, Florida.

Gary Player’s Major Mentality

The beauty of golf is the “one shot at a time” philosophy it engenders.  It forces you to focus on the moment and not on what happened in the previous shot or on what is going to happen in a shot to come.  The great golfers are the ones who are able to move on from a bad shot and see their current shot as a fresh start.  A bad shot must be seen in the light of its ability to force a correction.  We grow the most in tough times.  If you can get your head around this and see tough times as a chance for growth and deeper meaning, you will arm yourself with the most powerful mental weapon known to man – optimism.

Gary Player’s Views on Life and Making a Difference

True success is judged by your relationship with your fellow human beings.  This life is about making a difference.  It’s not about personal enrichment or glory.  Someone once said that we are blessed so that we can be a blessing to others.

In business, I was driven to succeed so that I could pass this success on to those I wanted to help.  To simply garner success for yourself can become a very unrewarding experience.  Your success needs to positively affect others for it to have wide-ranging benefits for society as a whole.  And this is within reach of one person in a career, a small business, or the biggest multinational corporations.

A great read reflecting on success in golf, business and life

ISBN 978-1-77022-140-6