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Gary Player won The Masters three times during his career, and he’s been part of the ceremonial tee shot at the tournament for close to 15 years. However, there’s been some bad blood between the legendary golfer and Augusta National, and he’s reignited his beef with the club over its refusal to allow him to hit the links with his grandsons.
No golfer has racked up more wins at The Masters than the six victories that Jack Nicklaus had at Augusta National, and he’s just one of eight people who’ve earned the right to don the green jacket on at least three separate occasions.
That fairly exclusive club is also home to Gary Player, who notched his first win in 1961 and added two more in 1974 and 1978. He has served as an honorary starter at the tournament since 2012, making him the longest-tenured member of a trio that’s currently comprised of himself, Nicklaus, and Tom Watson.
However, he has not been shy about voicing his displeasure with one of the most exclusive country clubs in the United States, and he has once again taken aim at Augusta National over its refusal to honor what seems like a pretty reasonable request at first glance.
Here’s a look at the feud between Gary Player and Augusta National, which refuses to let him play a round with his grandkids
Winning The Masters comes with its fair share of perks, including an honorary lifetime membership to Augusta National Golf Club. That gives them the right to schedule a tee time whenever the course is open, but they typically need to be hosted by a dues-paying member of the club if they want to play with a guest.
That has been a sore point for the 90-year-old Player, who has six kids who have given him 22 grandchildren (who have also added two great-grandchildren to his family). He has repeatedly bemoaned Augusta National’s refusal to grant him permission to play a round with some of his grandsons, and according to Golf Monthly, he has resigned himself to the fact that it may never happen, saying:
“I have been an ambassador for Augusta for all these years, yet they won’t let me have one round of golf in my life with my three grandsons. My grandsons are dying to know about their grandfather’s episodes on that golf course.
“All the golf courses that have hosted the Open, the US Open and the PGA would oblige, but they won’t do it at Augusta. It is just this current management there, but these are the times we live in and I accept it, but I accept it with sadness.”
Player hasn’t necessarily done himself any favors when it comes to getting into the good graces of the powers that be at Augusta National, as he previously argued it “would just be another golf course in Georgia” if not for the golfers like himself, who he argued are responsible for much of its mystique.
His family members also have a rocky track record at the course. In 2021, Player’s son Wayne was banned from The Masters and the course for a product placement stunt where he overtly showcased a sleeve of golf balls during the ceremonial start.
Is Augusta National being reasonable or does Player have a point? Shoot me an email at connor@brobible.com if you feel like chiming in.