Gary Player once suggested his achievement which Jack Nicklaus never managed was better than his nine majors
· Yahoo Sports
Gary Player enjoyed a wonderful career in the game, but he was never able to match the PGA Tour and major win tallies recorded by Jack Nicklaus.
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Player came over to the United States in the late-1950s and went head-to-head with Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer – two genuine giants of the game at the time.
The now 90-year-old ended up winning 159 professional tournaments worldwide, including a hugely impressive nine major championships.
In spite of Gary Player‘s undoubtedly exceptional achievements in the professional game, he was still usurped by the great Jack Nicklaus.
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty ImagesHowever, Player has often boasted that he got the better of Nicklaus more than the American media like to admit.
And there was one thing that the South African achieved during his playing career that Jack Nicklaus was never able to.
Gary Player praises his own achievement which Jack Nicklaus never managed
The diminutive South African has always been one to talk up his own accomplishments.
Player made an appearance on Grant Horvat’s YouTube channel back in 2025 and suggested that his tally of nine senior major wins was actually more impressive than his nine major championship titles.
“I think the nine majors on the senior tour were better,“ Player insisted.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images“I’ll tell you why. Because you’ve got to do it when you’re 50 and over.
“Now, I’m the only one that won the grand slam on the regular tour and the senior tour.
“Now if it was that easy why didn’t Palmer, why didn’t Nicklaus, why didn’t Trevino, why didn’t Watson do it?
“Why didn’t they do it if it was that easy?“
In fairness to Nicklaus, he did rack up eight senior major titles, so it wasn’t like he struggled to win them.
Gary Player wide of the mark with senior majors claim
As impressive as winning nine senior majors undoubtedly is, there is absolutely no way that feat is ‘better’ than succeeding at nine major championships on the regular tour.
Gary Player has a habit of telling everyone how good he was.
The thing is, we already know that he is one of the best five golfers to have ever graced the game.
He doesn’t need to continually beat the drum about his greatness.
Gary Player’s clubs did the talking throughout his career, and with 159 wins, including nine majors, it’s fair to say that he had nothing left to prove by the time he retired from playing competitively.
However, the 90-year-old constantly reminding everyone of how good he was has become rather tiresome.