Home / Sports / Gary Player Recounts Masters Anecdote with Nicklaus & Palmer
Gary Player Recounts Masters Anecdote with Nicklaus & Palmer
8 Apr
Summary
- Player shared a 1960s story about asking chairman Clifford Roberts to lower fairway grass.
- Roberts firmly denied the request, stating mowers were already at their lowest setting.
- Player, a three-time Masters champion, will hit the ceremonial opening tee shot.

Gary Player, a decorated three-time Masters champion, shared a vivid memory from the 1960s at Augusta National. He recounted how he, alongside legends Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, felt the fairways were too long. Player was tasked with approaching Augusta's notoriously strict chairman, Clifford Roberts, with the request to lower the mowing height.
Roberts, known for his no-nonsense demeanor, responded decisively to Player's petition. He stated that the mowers were already set as low as they could go, effectively ending the discussion. Despite this firm denial, Player observed that the fairways were indeed cut shorter in subsequent Masters tournaments.
Player, who is 90 years old, is set to perform the ceremonial opening tee shot for the 90th Masters. He spoke of his deep connection to the tournament and the special evolution of the Masters, acknowledging its unique place in golf history and its association with icons like President Eisenhower and Bobby Jones.