Gary Player has been a fixture at the PNC Championship since its inception. At 89 years old, he is the oldest player among the tournament participants that started this Saturday at the Ritz Carlton in Florida. The Black Knight carries it with pride. And he competes. He doesn’t take it lightly. In the first six editions, when the event was still exclusively reserved for parent-child pairings, he had no problems, playing each time with Wayne. However, once it opened up to other relationships, such as nephews, cousins, and the like, things got out of hand for the nine-time Major winner.
The family has grown, and he now has 6 children, 22 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Of course, almost all of them play golf. Naturally, they all want to play with Player at the PNC Championship. Each year the decision became more difficult and gave him a headache, so he decided to create a qualifier. “Anyone who wants to play with me will have to compete in a preliminary round, and the winner will be chosen,” he told his descendants. He has been doing this for four years. The tournament is held in Florida just before Thanksgiving.
Player clarifies the story. Of course, he did it to avoid having to choose between his grandchildren and others, but he also realized it was a way to play with the one in the best form at that time and, therefore, have the possibility of finishing higher and even winning the PNC.
Tiger, a fondo; su hijo Charlie, el nivelazo de Scheffler, la liga TGL…
This year’s winner was Alex Hall. He shot 78 in a very windy day. He started playing two and a half years ago and is already a +1 handicap. Incredible. It’s not much of a mystery. He’s practically playing golf all day. Additionally, he spent three months with Gary Player in South Africa undergoing intensive training. Next year he will start university and wants to join a good Division I team. “I’m sure we’re going to have a great time, but the goal is to win,” says Alex. Like father, like son.
