Gary Player claimed Arnold Palmer was ‘useless’ when hitting two specific golf shots, ‘sad to see’

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Gary Player and Arnold Palmer are two of the greatest golfers to have ever lived.

However, Player won more tournaments and, crucially, more majors than Palmer did during their respective careers.

The South African chalked up an incredible 159 worldwide wins including nine major championships, while Palmer recorded 95 victories in total, with seven majors to his name.

However, Palmer did get the better of Player in terms of PGA Tour wins, with 62 compared to Player’s 24.

Palmer, Player and Jack Nicklaus enjoyed a superb rivalry on the PGA Tour, especially during the 1960s.

Nicklaus, Palmer and Player were extremely close off the golf course as well.

However, it was Nicklaus and Player who separated themselves from Palmer on the golf course, according to the South African.

Gary Player said Arnold Palmer was ‘useless’ when hitting two golf shots

Player is someone who doesn’t beat about the bush when talking about his friends, let alone his enemies.

The South African golfing legend was very close with Palmer, especially after they stopped competing against one another.

However, that doesn’t mean that Palmer was exempt from Player’s criticism.

When speaking to British publication The Guardian back in 2017, Player spoke about Palmer in mostly glowing terms.

However, the South African did highlight two glaring weaknesses in the American’s game.

He said: “Palmer came, with his charismatic way of playing. He fell out of bed with charisma, he had a rugged face, the most unusual swing, really not a very good swing, he stopped on the ball.

“When he’d hit the ball in the trees, he’d try to shoot through gaps. It was bloody impossible! But he’d try, and people loved that. He came from the steel mills, with big strong hands, and it was invigorating.

“He was a marvellous driver of a ball. He hit the ball like SHOOOOOOM! [Mimes firing imaginary arrow.] And he’d hit a one-iron: SSSHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! [Mimes firing heat-seeking precision missile.] But he was a useless bunker player and a useless wedge player. Useless! For a superstar – you’ve got to win six majors to be a superstar, and Arnie won seven – it was sad to see him play a wedge shot. He’d hit a wedge shot on average 25 feet from the hole!

“A wonderful putter, though, and he’d hit his one-iron way better than his wedge. It was astonishing! I’ll give him all the credit in the world, I loved the man.

“Winston Churchill, one of my all-time heroes, said manners maketh the man. And Arnold was very well mannered. He had more patience with people than any golfer I ever saw. He was the Muhammed Ali of golf.“

Player then explained how Jack Nicklaus is the greatest champion to have ever lived.

He said: “Jack Nicklaus was the greatest gentleman I ever played with. If you hit a great shot, he was complimentary. If you shot a good round, he’d put his arm around you and say: ‘Gee, you did well today, it really was a pleasure to see you play.’

“When I played him in the 1966 final of the World Matchplay, I beat him 6&4. That’s a drubbing, man! But before I was on the practice ground, hitting a few bad shots, and he said: ‘Why don’t you try this?’ I’m about to play against him!

“This guy was remarkable. He won majors for 25 years. I won for 20. Palmer only won for six, a very short career but the average American thinks Palmer won more than Nicklaus, because he was an icon. And good for him!“

Gary Player vs Arnold Palmer: PGA Tour careers compared

Both Player and Palmer are legendary figures in the game.

Palmer especially played a key role in growing the game and he’s one of the main reasons why golf is as popular as it is today.

Here are the records of Palmer and Player throughout their respective careers on the PGA Tour:

As mentioned earlier, Player did win 159 tournaments worldwide.

It’s also worth noting that Palmer played 254 more PGA Tour tournaments than Player.

As we all know, the PGA Tour is the pinnacle of the professional game, and Palmer’s record speaks for itself.

However, Player’s record in the majors and his sheer number of wins worldwide puts him ahead of Palmer in the all-time greatest golfers list.