When Gary Player said “my legacy is about far more than my golf career” at this weekend’s Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational, the words of South Africa’s greatest sportsman resonated right to the heart of another great in Francois Pienaar, who saw the power of sport in his own life when he was part of a rugby game that united an entire nation.
The captain of the iconic 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks has joined other sports stars, the next generation of South African professional golfers from the Sunshine Tour, celebrities and business leaders in this pro-am tournament at the Gary Player Country Club to support Gary Player’s fundraising drive for underprivileged children at the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School he and his wife founded.
Pienaar said he is humbled to be a part of this initiative and to support a great South African who has shown his fellow sportsmen and women what the ultimate goal of their talent should be.
“As sportsmen we’re blessed to represent our country on the international stage and to see the power of sport,” Pienaar said at the Gary Player Country Club on Saturday after day one of this event. “But this weekend you also see the love Mr Player has for giving back, and the love Vivienne had for giving back.
“The school they founded is remarkable. And that is what you want to see with greats like Mr Player. Yes, you do well in your sport, but what do you do outside of your sport? Mr Player has promoted South Africa internationally, and he’s done immense work for education and the underprivileged.
“I’m humbled to play in his tournament, and I look forward to seeing him again when he turns 90.
The first round of this 36-hole pro-am saw the team of Sunshine Tour professional Malcolm Mitchell, former Springbok Pat Lambie and businessmen Lelo Rantloane and Liran Assness lead the field on 95 points.
Player’s own team including rising Sunshine Tour star Robin Williams and businessmen Samuel Simpson and Alex Maditsi are currently second on 93 points.
But this weekend is focused on those things far bigger than the game.
Speaking at the official welcome function on Friday, Player expressed his love and appreciation for a gathering of what he said was a family in golf and which includes overwhelming support from the Sunshine Tour professionals he’s inspired as well as rugby stars such as Pienaar, Naas Botha, Steven Kitshoff, Butch James, Adriaan Strauss, Owen Nkumane, Odwa and Akona Ndungane, Pat Lambie, Robbi Kempson, Schalk Brits and Siviwe Soyizwapi.
It has also drawn great from the world of football such as Kenny Dalglish, Shaun Bartlett, Jimmy Tau, Stanton Fredericks, Mark Williams, Aaron Mokoena and Brian Baloyi, as well as cricket legends Paul Adams and Herschelle Gibbs, celebrities Rolene Strauss, Felicity Shiba, Maps Maponyane, Kgomotso Ndungane and David Kau, and boxing star Brian Mitchell.
“If I could do one thing, it would be to bottle all of the love we have here this weekend and send it to every corner of the world,” said Player. “When it comes to children in need, we cannot do everything. But all any of us here are trying to do is a little something to help. We have a debt incurred in life to help people, and golf is the greatest catalyst for raising funds for the needy.
“South Africa is blessed with so many great sportsmen and women who can do so much good for our country.”
Nobody appreciates this more than Player, who continues to use golf to help change his country. And nobody understands this more than Pienaar, who used rugby to help change his country.
“Mr Player has been just incredible. When he played golf, we all watched him. When I was growing up, he was one of those South Africans you saw performing on the international stage. He was one of the pioneers of doing some incredible things in international sport. We all felt that pride.”
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