Wayne Player, the son of Gary Player, has been officially banned for life from entering the grounds of the Augusta National Golf Club. During the opening ceremony of the 2021 Masters, he exhibited in the axis of a camera a box of balls (on the right in the photo) of which his father is the official brand ambassador.
The scene had shocked a large number of viewers! And more generally the world of social networks. During the opening ceremony of the Masters 2021, Wayne Playerthe son of the legendary Gary Playerhonorary starter of the Masters with Jack Nicklaus and the late Lee Elder (disappeared a few months later), had found nothing better than to show off full camera, while this one was staring at Lee Elder sitting on a chair, a box of balls (Vero X1) from the OnCore brand whose father is the ambassador.
A marketing stunt that backfired on its author since it has just been, according to Golf Digestbanned for life within the confines of theAugusta National Golf Club. Despite an appeal for clemency launched by Wayne Player himself and a flat apology to the members of the Georgian institution, nothing worked. Removed !
“You have ruined a special moment in the history of golf”
« In their response, I was thanked for reaching out and apologizing.explains the main interested party. They even wrote that they had accepted my apologies, but they didn’t change their position. They would not reconsider their decision. “You have ruined a special moment in the history of the game of golf,” they added. »
Wayne Player reveals he has been banned for life from The Masters… https://t.co/svFUqZrXuy
— Golf Monthly (@GolfMonthly) May 3, 2022
Not really a “handsome player” despite this unforgivable blunder, Wayne Player later became more offensive once the sanction was approved, alluding to the affront made against the Player family name, and in particular to the fact that his father, a three-time Masters winner in 1961, 74 and 78, never received full membership of the famed club. Unlike Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmeralso a former honorary starter who died in 2016.
One more provocation this year with Player Father?
« It pains me that Augusta National did not invite my father to become a full member.continues the son. We all know there are a lot of criteria here, but no one has represented the game of golf better than Gary Player. Why didn’t they? That’s a shame ! »
One can however wonder if this radical decision was not taken at the end of the last Masters won by Scottie Scheffler. Gary Player, still an honorary starter with Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watsonthe “replacement” of Lee Elder, had indeed appeared Thursday morning at dawn with the sponsor of the Saudi Golf printed on his polo collar. The Saudi League which, it should be remembered, via the LIV Golf Invitational dear to Greg Norman, is seeking to establish itself in the professional golf circuit with millions of dollars to the detriment of the PGA Tour or even of DP World Tour. One more provocation among the Players, or a simple thoughtlessness? Who knows !
The Player family found themselves under scrutiny for a second Masters running after Gary Player joined the 2022 Masters opening ceremony sporting a ‘Saudi Golf’ logo on the left collar of his shirt #themasters #garyplayer https://t.co/Jb6eOttAMc
— Irish Golfer (@IrishGolferMag) April 7, 2022
