In winning nine major championships, Gary Player has hit a fair few brilliant shots over the years but the man himself is in no doubt which shot is his favourite and best.
Player is one of the most successful golfers of all time and over the years, he’s provided some truly remarkable moments.
Like most golfers, Player will know what constitutes a good shot or not and most of the time, it’s down to feel and the conditions around the shot.
Players like Jordan Spieth have enlightened us with their best shots while everyone seems to have a story about a shot Tiger Woods has hit.
Now, we can look back in time again and look at the shot Gary Player believes is his best ever.
Gary Player’s best ever golf shot
For Gary Player to look back into the vault of his memory and pick out his best ever shots may seem like an arduous task for some.
However, when we look at what Player himself has said to The Open’s official media channels, he is sure of what is the standout.
“The shot I hit at 14, I’ll never forget that. I went to see where I played from recently to refresh this wonderful memory,” Player admitted.
“I got quite choked because it was 50 years ago but it seems like yesterday, and I stood there in awe and I said, ‘The only way I could hit a shot like that is by a divine intervention’.
“I’m not that good that I can hit a shot into the wind, the ball travels 260 yards – I’m not that good that I could do that, and I did choke up, and I’m very, very thankful.
“Playing the 14th hole on that last day, I hit the best shot of my life, and the best shot I’ve ever seen in my life. You’ve got to play shots in the Open that you’d never play in any of the majors.”
How Gary Player became the first golfer to win The Open in three decades
Gary Player has so many career highlights and milestones that it’s hard to keep up at times.
However, one that he’ll always have as being the first to achieve was when he won The Open for the third time in 1974.
That win at Royal Lytham meant Player became the first golfer to win The Open across three different decades.
His first win came in 1959 at Muirfield, before he won again in 1968 at Carnoustie, where he hit the now famous shot he talks about above.
The South African has pretty much done it all in golf and now 89, he keeps on going and constantly provides tips or instructions to the up-and-coming golfers of the world.
When all is said and done, Gary Player will very much go down as one of the best ever.
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