R.I.P. Ian Player

The older brother of Gary led a fascinating life until his passing this week at 87, most notably credited with helping to save the rhino population of South Africa from almost certain extinction. Less significant to the world but more interesting for golf was his role in convincing brother Gary to exercise.

From Douglas Martin's excellent New York Times obituary.

Ian Cedric Player, the son of a gold miner, was born in Johannesburg on March 15, 1927. He laid the foundation for the famed physical fitness of his brother, Gary, who was eight years younger, by making him climb a rope and lift weights. “He made me promise I would exercise for the rest of my life,” Gary Player told Golf World magazine in 2013.

Comments

[BDF]

I had no idea that Mr. Player had such an accomplished brother, I assumed he had died in WW2. He sounded like a very interesting man.

[Ivan Morris]

Apples that fell from the same tree? Rest in peace, Ian!

[KLG]

A life well lived!

[Abu Dhabi Golfer]

Great story.

Knowing all this now, I sense that Gary was trying a bit to hard to be like his big brother.

[digsouth]

RIP It sounds like a great family.

I would also like to offer a Via con Dios to Bobby Keys, a Texas musician who played with the Rolling Stones since the 60's, and was a friend and just a good guy.

[fyg]

Gary indeed looked up to his big brother.

When you see a magnificent animal like the white rhino, you can thank Ian Player for the role he played in saving them.

RIP, Mr. Player.

[dbh]

RIP Mr. Player.

Digs, I stumbled on a great Bobby Keys golf story while reading some obits this week. No idea of its veracity:

'Keith Richards once shot a golf ball with his pistol - after the unwanted ball had landed in his breakfast, according to a new autobiography.
Richards apparently got trigger-happy while on tour with The Rolling Stones in the 1990s, when the band were staying at a hotel with an adjoining golf course. The band's sax player Bobby Keys claims to have caused the incident in his new autobiography Every Day Is Saturday Night.
Keys writes: "When I hit my ball it hooked into the trees, ricocheted – and landed smack dab in the middle of his breakfast. So he shot it. He's standing there on his patio with a pistol in his hand and smoke coming out of the muzzle. He was holding this smoking shell that used to be my golf ball. He said: 'That's a ten-stroke f-----g penalty, and if you ever do it again I'll do the same to you! You ruined my f-----g breakfast!. He was getting ready to eat his eggs Benedict."...'

[digsouth]

He and Richards were born on the same day, and are/were both free spirits.

don't wanna take anything from Mr. Player as I just read that giraffes are in danger of extinction. We need another hero to save these incredible animals.

[BrianS]

@dbh - thanks for the great story !

[highside]

If I remember correctly, Gary talks about the influence of his older brother in his instructional book for seniors, Golf Begins at Fifty, which I highly recommend. The fitness advice might be a bit dated, but the chapter on the full swing is pure gold.

http://www.amazon.com/Golf-Begins-at-Gary-Player/dp/0671683195

[Nancy]

Inspiring obit with wonderful accompanying photo(s). Worth researching more on this man's contributions to conservation.