South African professional golfer Gary Player’s phone interview this morning on Morning Drive discussing the life and legacy of Charlie Sifford, whom he had the honor of inducting into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.
Video: Gary Player Discusses Charlie Sifford’s Impact in Golf
Gary Player Quotes on Charlie Sifford
“One of the greatest honors of my life, was when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he asked a white, South African to induct him in the Hall of Fame. That was a very great honor for me in my life because I had a long friendship with him.”
“I continued to phone him all through the years, and he always ended his call with ‘Love you my man.’ He always said, ‘love you my man.’”
“One of his messages he left behind was, ‘Learn to accept adversity. Keep fighting.’ He paved the way, he was a pioneer.”
“Having had similar lives to him, there is one thing that stands out in my mind – Evil will prevail unless good men make a stand, and that applies to Charlie Sifford.”
I befriended him and we played practice rounds together and we became very good friends. He was always trying. He said, ‘You know I don’t have much, but I’ll always try. Even if I’m finishing last, I’m trying my best.’ And that is the way I felt about golf as well because I didn’t have much when I started. And he always said to me at the end, he said, ‘You know laddie, I made some money. Man, I made it.’ It was so gratifying to hear that.”
“He never gave up. That is the thing, that is the great thing that he leaves behind, is that he never gave up. Not only in his demeanor as far as not being accepted, but also on the golf course. It was prevalent, throughout his whole system, he was a fighter, and he never ever gave up, which to me is a very important thing.”
“There was no sense of entitlement, which so many young people have today in the United States. I mean, here America continues to lose the Ryder Cup, it doesn’t make sense. The best golf courses, the most money, the best coaches and the best climate and they keep getting clobbered. There must be a reason for it. The fact remains that the Europeans are just better, and there is a great sense of entitlement in America. You don’t have the best tennis player, you don’t the best golfer and you have all of the best facilities. We have got to instill this that existed with Charlie Sifford – no sense of entitlement. You’ve got to keep working and double your practicing.”
