In the world of golf, there are moments when legendary players express their unfiltered opinions, leaving a lasting impression on the sport.

One such moment occurred at the Chambers Bay Golf Course during the 2015 US Open, where Gary Player, a golf icon, unleashed his frustrations, calling it the “most unpleasant golf tournament” he had ever witnessed.

Let’s delve into Player’s candid remarks from eight years ago, and that what actually triggered him.

A brutal assessment of Chambers Bay

It all started when the host asked Player: “Good Morning, sir. How are you?”

In his response, Player started off like a steam engine.

The nine-time major winner did not hold back in expressing his discontent with the unique difficulty of the course, stating, “The man who designed this had to have one leg shorter than the other.”

He criticized the course for the challenges that the golfers faced, with shots missing the green by a yard and ending up 50 yards further away in the rough.

He highlighted how such extreme difficulty could leave golfers totally flustered, especially those with a 15-16 handicap. These amateur golfers could end up shooting close to a 110 and go back home really unhappy.

Player advocating for enjoyment and growth

Player passionately argued for making golf quicker and more enjoyable. He expressed, “We gotta cut the ball back for the pro golfer and leave it for the amateur golfer.”

He emphasized the need to strike a balance between the professional and amateur levels of the game. He further criticized the trend of lengthening golf courses. He found the 7,900-yard golf course to be unrealistic for a regular golfer.

Also Read – A Year After Tarnishing His Image at the Masters, Gary Player Becomes the Victim of Golf World’s Rage: ‘Added to the Villain List’

“We are making golf courses longer and longer, more water, more fertilizer, more labor… All this is leading to amateur numbers going down. We don’t want to see that. We love the game; we gotta promote it,” he said.

He also expressed his concerns about the impact it had on amateur participation. In a state of utter disbelief, he asked, “Can you imagine this is where we encourage people to come and play and get more people to play?”