Gary Player has a rich history at the Australian Open, with a record seven victories at the tournament to his name.
On December 4th, the Australian Open heads back to Royal Melbourne, a course where Gary Player won one of his seven titles.
Player was a real trailblazer in the professional game and not only due to his obsession with working out in the gym.
The now 90-year-old South African traveled the world to play regularly, while many of his rivals competed mostly in the United States.
Player is one of the greatest golfers to have ever graced the game, and he played a key role in golf’s increased popularity in Australia.
But what does he really feel about Royal Melbourne – the host of this year’s Australian Open – as a golf course?
Gary Player shares feelings on Royal Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open
The last time the Australian Open was held at Royal Melbourne was in 1991, when Wayne Riley emerged victorious.
Guess who has the most PGA Tour wins in this quiz!
Golf fans are incredibly excited to see the championship return to the magnificent Royal Melbourne.
When speaking to Inside Golf’s Andrew Crockett, Player was asked about his win at the Australian Open in 1963 at Royal Melbourne.
He said: “I’ll never forget Royal Melbourne, it’s one of the greatest golf courses in the world. In 1963 I won by seven shots, and that victory helped me enormously. I’d just come off playing the World Cup in Paris, and I remember Jack, Arnold and myself had to make a tough decision because there was a heavy fog delaying our flight. We were told that arrival would be about three hours before our tee time. They said no thanks, but I didn’t want to miss it, especially since I won the year prior.
“It was hectic travel but quite common in those days. I flew from Paris to New York to San Francisco to Hawaii to Fiji to Sydney before arriving in Melbourne right at three hours to spare. Ate a sandwich on the drive in and went straight to the first tee without ever seeing the course. Winning after that might be my greatest accomplishment in professional golf given the circumstance.
“I went on a similar trip a few years earlier and doing so enabled me to win the Ampol Tournament, which gave me the means to get married. Perhaps that is the most important win of my professional career as Vivienne and I started our lives together as husband and wife shortly after.”
Royal Melbourne clearly has a place in Player’s heart, and he’ll undoubtedly be watching the Australian Open with keen interest next month.
Everything you need to know about Royal Melbourne
The majestic layout on Australia’s south coast has just been named as the seventh best golf course in the world, ahead of Augusta National in eighth place!
The course being used for the Australian Open will be a composite of both the East and West courses.
Both courses were designed by Dr. Alister MacKenzie, with the West opening in 1926 and the East five years later in 1931.
The composite course stretches out to around 7,000 yards and it plays as a par 72.
For anyone wanting to play at Royal Melbourne, the bad news is that it is strictly a private members’ club.
The good news is that we can all watch the Australian Open at the magnificent Royal Melbourne on our TV screens next month.
And that’s not a bad substitute, such is the majesty of the golf course.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
