b. 1935 · South African golfer · nine major championships, career Grand Slam
Gary Player was born in Johannesburg on 1 November 1935 and became one of the most travelled and most decorated golfers in the game’s history, winning nine major championships and completing the career Grand Slam in 1965 — the first non-American to do so. Nicknamed the Black Knight, he built a public identity around fitness and relentless practice, which is exactly why a practice-and-luck aphorism stuck to his name so firmly. He did use a version of the line in print, but he was quoting a piece of golf-world folk wisdom, not minting it.