The story behind Gary Player pinning a golfer against a locker pre-Masters triumph

Player has 159 professional wins, nine of them majors, and is someone that many of today’s golfers still seek out for guidance.

The South African has always been known for being direct with his feedback, and one story from The Masters in 1999 highlights that approach.

In an interview with The Daily Mail, Player recalled a moment in the Augusta National locker room in 1999 involving Jose Maria Olazabal.

“He was down in the dups in 1999 and I pinned him up against a locker. I told him, ‘promise me you’ll stop being so down on yourself and start believing you can win’. Four days later, he’d won his second Masters,” he said.

Olazabal went on to win his second green jacket that time, finishing two shots ahead of Davis Love III and three clear of Greg Norman.

His rounds of 70, 66, 73 and 71 were enough to get over the line at Augusta National once again, five years after he won his first green jacket.

Gary Player expresses sadness over Augusta snub as access troubles continue

The South African voiced his frustrations towards Augusta National in 2023, criticising how hard it had become to arrange a round with his grandchildren.

“After all I’ve contributed to the tournament and been an ambassador for them, I can’t go and have a practice round there with my three grandchildren without having to beg a member to play with us, and there’s always some excuse. It’s terribly, terribly sad,” he said.

“I’ve played my role: I’ve won it three times; I was in the top ten 15 times; I made the most number of cuts in a row ever, yet here we are struggling to get a round.”

Despite his history at Augusta National, it seems the relationship between Player and the club remains strained. It will be interesting to see if anything changes in the future to improve things between them.