Father’s Day is always a day of celebration for golf. Every year, the U.S. Open finishes the final rounds on Father’s Day to take a moment to honor all the loving fathers out there. And this time, at the final hours of the U.S Open 2025, legendary golfer Gary Player took a moment to honor his father through an emotional X Post. Player shared the struggles of his father to support his exceptional golfing career.

Gary Player was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Nov. 1, 1935, to Harry Player and Muriel Player. Player had a tough childhood, troubled by poverty. He lost his mother, Muriel Player, at the age of 8, which for Harry was quite a difficult period. His father, Harry Player, spent the dark hours working at a gold mine just for $200 per month.

However, despite the struggles, Harry used to play golf during his free time. Player took no interest in golf until the age of 14, when his father invited him to play one round of golf. Player managed to par the first three holes, and the rest was over par 8 and 9. Soon after that single round, Gary got completely hooked on the game. He got so hooked that he practiced by himself to become a pro at 17. He used to stand on a rugby field and launch eight iron shots into the goal posts. Harry, who saw the fire in Player, took out a loan from the bank to buy his first golf kit. In his Father’s Day post on X, Gary has stated this incident, remembering his father with gratitude, “He loved golf and took out a bank loan to buy me my first set of clubs.”

By the age of 21, the Black Knight had won 10 tournaments. His breakthrough win happened at the 1956 South African Open. After this victory, Harry Player realised his son’s potential to become an international star. Due to his financial conditions, Harry wrote a letter to Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, who are the co-founders of the Masters Tournament. As per ESPN, in the letter, he explained to himself that he did not have the financial stability to send his son to the U.S., “But if you could extend him an invitation to the Masters, I will pass the hat here in Johannesburg and obtain the necessary funds.”  Jones kindly responded to the letter saying, “Pass the hat. “Harry is the epitome of a father’s sacrificial love. He wanted his son to conquer the greatest heights and conquer the world. And his sacrifice never went in vain, as he gave birth to one of the greatest of all time in golf history. His career achievements remain unbeaten by many professional golfers.

Gary Player, the South African Legend

Soon after arriving in the United States, Player earned his first victory within a year. He won the 1958 Kentucky Derby Open. This was just the beginning of his legacy. In the second year, he won his first major title, beating Fred Bullock and Flory van Donck by two strokes at the British Open. He was just 23 at the time. In the time when Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus dominated the sport, Player stood out.

Because he was there to win, and when he didn’t, he was right behind them. When Palmer won six majors from 1958-62, Player won three. When Nicklaus was at his best from the mid-1960s to late 1970s, winning the king’s share of his 18 major championships, Player won six majors of his own. With his 1965 victory at the U.S Open, he became the first international and third player ever to achieve the Career Grand Slam feat.

He is the only player to win the British Open in three consecutive decades (1959, 1968, and 1974). He never took a break from golf until the age of 74. After his retirement from professional golf, he went on to create records at the Senior PGA Tour. He has three Senior PGA Championship Titles, two Senior U.S Open and one Senior Players. There is no doubt that his father must be so proud of him.