Gary Player He is one of the great icons in the history of golf. He himself claimed only a few days ago the title of the golfer who has hit the most balls in the worldafter ensuring that the number reaches 15 million throughout his entire life. As indicated, a computer program calculated this figure taking into account various parameters, including that he has been playing for 73 of his 87 years of life.
But the point is that the winner of nine majors has been forced to deal with more sensitive matters of late, something that has become known recently. According to the newspaper Palm Beach Postthe ‘Black Knight’ He filed a lawsuit last May in Palm Beach County against his son, Marc Player, and a separate lawsuit in November against his grandson, Damian Player.
Player alleges that both sold and tried to sell some trophies and material from his time as a professionalbreaching a agreement which required the items to be returned to their original owner. The fact is that the South African champion had ceded various trademark rights over the years to his son Marcwith whom he managed part of his heritage and legacy, so he was able to auction off some highly coveted pieces for any collector.
however, though the business relationship with his son had ended in 2019 and with a conciliation agreementmuch of Player’s memorabilia was sold against his wishes in an auction in 2021. The list included, among other things, his 1974 Masters winner’s trophy, which sold for $523,483a trophy from the South African Open ($48,841), his irons used in the 1965 US Open ($17,947) or golf shoes used in the Masters ($1,171).
Although according to Damian Player’s lawyer we are at the beginning of a judicial process, a judge will decree in the next few days an order that will paralyze the possible sale of more objects of the ‘Black Knight’. According to his son, the 2021 agreement is invalid because the property rights belong to a trust, but Gary Player hopes that the court order “solves the problems of recent times.” Already In 2020, the 87-year-old former golfer won a lawsuit against Marc, who had to pay five million to his father for non-payment in relation to the exploitation of image rights..
Then there is also the lawsuit against Damian Player, the grandsonwho allegedly tried to sell a series of his grandfather’s memorabilia that he had stored in South Carolina. What he did sell or at least help sell were several Rolex watches. belonging to the ex-golfer, for a large sum of money.
