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 ABU
DHABI // Gary Player drives the ball straight down
the fairway of the new golf course he designed on
Saadiyat Island, turns and says: “Do you know what?
I’ve fallen in love with this place.”
Player, the winner of nine major titles, is keen to
extol the virtues of Abu Dhabi during his latest
flying visit to assess progress in the development
of the course, which is due to open in September
next year. The project promises to be one of the
centrepieces of the island, and Player expresses
delight at what he sees.
“Abu Dhabi is going to give the world a big shock,”
says the 72-year-old South African. “Not a lot of
people know about it now but I can tell you that,
give it five years, and the whole world will know
about Abu Dhabi.
“With the Guggenheim and Louvre museums coming,
along with the other great attractions and
structures that are going to be here, Saadiyat
Island is going to be a great place for the world to
see.”
The Times
1935
Gary Player is born on Nov 1 in Johannesburg
1953
He turns professional and will go on to win 163
tournaments
1959
He wins his first British Open. He will win two more
in 1968 and 1974
1961
He wins his first Masters and will win three in
total, the next in 1974 and 1978
1962
He wins the first of two (1972) PGA Championships
1965
He wins his first and only US Open
Player won 163 titles over five decades and is
ranked by the magazines Golf Digest, Golf and Asian
Golf in their top 10 all-time greatest list of
golfers.
By the age of 29 he had won the career Grand Slam of
the four major titles (Masters, US PGA, British and
US Opens), one of only five men to achieve the feat.
Among his many other distinctions was to become the
oldest player to make the halfway cut at the
Masters, which he did in 1998 at 62.
Player, who has designed more than 300 courses
worldwide, is also pleased with the way his first
venture in the UAE, being carried out in conjunction
with the Tourism Development and Investment Company,
is taking shape.
“I have just fallen in love with Abu Dhabi,” he says
again, as if to remove any doubt about his feelings.
“They are doing things in a more pristine way. All
their planning is good, and it is not too
ostentatious.
“Dubai did not start off with great golf courses.
They have some great courses now, and this is
something Abu Dhabi must learn from.
“It must have great courses from the start and keep
bringing in great architects to ensure they are of
the highest quality. We have a saying in the
company, ‘Everything in business is negotiable,
except quality’.”
The environment is also very close to Player’s
heart. His brother, Ian, is an international
conservationist and is credited with saving the
white rhino from extinction.
Another attraction for Player is the way that
Saadiyat – which translates as “island of happiness”
– is meant to be eco-friendly.
“This Saadiyat Island golf course is a gift to
nature. I am a farmer. I have to watch fertilisation,
I have to watch water, I have to watch so many
things so that I do not mess the soil up.
“I have a lot of things to appreciate as a farmer
and I take those concerns with me when building a
golf course.
“On Saadiyat we will have trees, fish in the lakes
where the whole family can come down and catch fish
and take walks on the beach. It will make a huge
difference to the standard of living of people who
use it.”
Player is also well aware of the benefits that could
flow from having a world class course just off the
north-eastern shore of Abu Dhabi.
“The course creates jobs, brings in tourism, brings
in investment and it is just a thrill to be involved
in something like this.”
And Player also knows about the connection between
power, money and golf. “Those that have lots of
money to invest, or spend, play golf.
“They can’t play soccer or rugby any more. They want
to invest and they want to play golf.
“I know that this will be one of the best real
estate developments that we’ve done.”
Golf is also a great catalyst for tourism,
investment and raising money for charities.
“On the PGA tour, we have raised US$1 billion
(Dh3.6bn) for charities and are on our way to
raising the second billion. That is more than any
other two sports put together.”
A committed Christian, Player has wasted little time
getting to know his adopted city.
“I had the most wonderful time going to the Sheikh
Zayed Mosque,” he says. “I could have spent two days
there. I am very interested in other religions and
other people’s cultures and I have great respect for
other people’s way of life.
“God wants us to live in peace. God doesn’t want us
to have war.”
Player had a difficult childhood. He was eight when
his mother, Muriel, died of cancer. His father,
Harry, spent much of the time away from home working
in South Africa’s gold mines.
“I grew up poor and won all the world titles, it’s a
blessing,” he says. “It is a gift that was loaned to
me by God. I can’t say that I did this and I did
that, you can’t think it’s all about you all the
time.
“A lot of the world champions in the last 15 years,
like David Duval, Seve Ballesteros and Ian
Baker-Finch woke up and they couldn’t play again. I
don’t know what the answer is but it is very
humbling.
“Golf is a very uphill road, full of adversity and
teaching you to accept that adversity. It is a very
difficult sport. I had a very difficult upbringing,
but I am thankful for it. I would not have been a
champion had I not had that because I am a bit of a
crybaby really. I am very over-sensitive.
“I would never have been a champion had I never
suffered. In my prayers I say, ‘Thank you for
letting me suffer’. It helped make me the man I am.”
With Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, Player was
part of his generation’s “Big Three”, and most of
the majors would have one of their names on it each
year.
Now, however, Tiger Woods, already the winner of 14
major titles at 32, appears to be in a class of his
own. Player is disappointed that Woods will miss
this week’s British Open because of a knee injury
that ended his season following his US Open win.
“It is sad for golf because Woods is the tour,” he
says. “So many people need him, the media, the
galleries. He brings a lot of new people into the
game and manufacturers need him because they need to
keep making golf clubs for the people Tiger
encourages to take up the sport.
“So the game is going to be hurt until he comes
back.”
Woods won at Torrey Pines virtually on one leg.
“His US Open win was just phenomenal,” Player says.
“He was driving the ball all over the place because
of his knee but still won it. What a performance.
There has never been a man in history that could
have made the recovery shots he did.”
But Woods’s withdrawal means that the event at Royal
Birkdale, starting on Thursday, may be closely
contested.
“Now that Woods is out, these guys that were feeling
very mediocre about their game are suddenly getting
confident, so we find ourselves with a lot of
mushrooms coming up.”
Not surprisingly, Player picks two fellow South
Africans as ones to watch. “I like Ernie Els’s
possibilities. He hasn’t been playing well recently
but I’ve always enjoyed watching his swing. Then
you’ve got Trevor Immelman, who has a magnificent
swing.
“He won the Masters and then he tied for a
tournament after that.”
Player also expects a strong challenge from Padraig
Harrington of Ireland. “So there are a host of chaps
who can come out and win it,” he says. “The Open
really is so open.”
One achievement of which Player is particularly
proud is the Player Foundation, which he launched
with a mission “to provide quality education for
underprivileged children and strengthen impoverished
communities plagued by disease and crime”.
And his desire to help young people, coupled with
his attachment to the UAE, gives him a new ambition:
to help the country’s children develop golfing
skills of their own.
“I would love to get the young people of the UAE
involved in golf,” he says. “The whole philosophy of
the TDIC company is to contribute to society. I am
very interested in this.
“Having worked with so many millionaires,
billionaires and big companies, this company has a
very special commitment on their planning, their
quality, and how they do things. It is very
important.
“I would love to have 30 young boys and girls
hitting balls next time I am out. You might have a
Tiger Woods living in the UAE. What a thrill that
would be for me to get some little kid from the UAE
playing golf at that level.”
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