When you remember the greatest golfers in history, you remember the Big Three: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, & Gary Player. You also think of Bobby Jones, Tiger Woods, and Ben Hogan. However, when it comes to ranking them, Nicklaus and Woods would probably top the list. But where would Player land among himself, Jones & Palmer? Well, the Black Knight thinks he’s better than both of those individuals, even if the world believes he falls below them.

Soon to turn 90, he joined CBS Sports for an interview when he was asked to compile a list of the greatest players of all time. Player told the reporter, “When they judge players, it’s quite interesting. They put Bobby Jones and Arnold ahead of me. You can’t tell me that an amateur golfer [Jones] has a record that I have in golf. His record is not close to mine. You look at Arnold’s record, it’s not close to mine. I won more majors than Arnold. I won more tournaments than Arnold. I won more senior majors. My stroke averages were better. He didn’t have the record, and he was my brother.”

Player is tied for the fourth-most majors won in a career with 9 titles. He has won each major at least once and the Masters Tournament & The Open Championship three times each. Compared to him, Jones & Palmer have won 7 major titles, and neither of them is a grand slam champion. As far as PGA Tour wins go, since Jones never turned pro, he hasn’t won any other title except the majors, while Player has 24 in total. As per the records, the South African legend is certainly better than them.

That’s not where his rant ended, though. He also added, “In 1953, when I started it, I was condemned. Arnold Palmer, my brother, said, ‘Gary, you can’t do this weight training.’ Bobby Jones said, ‘Gary, you can’t do all this weight training. You’re going to get muscle-bound. You won’t win tournaments after 35.’ Well, they’re all dead and I’m still going.”

It’s hard to imagine Player is 90 when you look at him swinging. He’s one of the fittest individuals at his age. And he still indulges in exercising regularly to maintain his health. Back in January 2025, he had revealed his amazing workout routine. He is the perfect example of the saying, ‘age is just a number, ‘ as he continues to prove his doubters wrong. And as cynical as it may be, he is right. Palmer passed away at 87, and Jones was only 69 when he died. So Player’s approach certainly helped him.

That’s not the only way Gary Player is proving that he’s still young at heart. Apart from having a better career than Arnold Palmer and Bobby Jones on paper, the South African legend is also still living his best life. Let’s see what he has been doing over the last few years.

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Did Gary Player crack the code to a better life by not listening to the advice of Arnold Palmer?

We are only hours away from Gary Player turning 90 years old. Still, he’s leading a life that many much younger than him would also envy. The 89-year-old regularly practices golf as he is often seen swinging the club for exhibition events. He also plays the PNC Championship annually along with his grandchildren. That’s already more than many his age even dream of doing.

Moreover, late last year, reports of Player finding a new partner had made headlines. Later, he confirmed that he was dating Susan. This didn’t come as a surprise to many, as back in 2023, he had already suggested that he was “looking for a girlfriend”. His friends and associates helped him connect with Susan sometime last year, and they ended up starting to date each other not long after. Considering his active lifestyle and amazing career, we can understand why Gary Player thinks he has had a better life than Arnold Palmer.