AUGUSTA — Masters Wednesday is for reminiscing.
On a bright morning shortly before lunchtime, Gary Player leaned back in a plush sofa in Augusta National’s stately clubhouse, smiled broadly and conjured a moment from the 1960s, when he, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer were in their heyday.
“I think it was 1965. We played practice rounds, and we all felt the grass was a little too long in the fairways. Too thick,” Player said, holding his index finger about three inches apart from his thumb. “So, Jack and Arnold come up to me and say, ‘We took a vote, and you’re going in.' They wanted me to go speak with the chairman.”
Augusta’s chairman was Clifford Roberts, who helped launch the club alongside Bobby Jones. Roberts was known by all as a no-nonsense, and at times ruthless, arbiter of all things Augusta. Player had drawn the short straw, but did as he was told: he would meet with the chairman and lodge the complaint.
“So I went along up into his office and I’m nervous. And I give him the news, and I tell him we’ve talked, and we’d like the mowers to be set lower in the fairways.
“He takes a long pause, then looks at me, crosses his arms and says, ‘The mowers are set as low as they can go, now good morning!'”
So ended Player’s attempt to alter Augusta’s agronomy. But he said it wasn’t many Masters later when the fairways were, indeed, cut down tighter. Even back then, Augusta moved quickly when it saw a way to improve the Masters.
Player is a three-time green jacket winner and of course one of the game’s legends, who, at age 90, will hit a ceremonial opening tee shot on Thursday morning to kick off this 90th Masters. A few weeks ago, he gave an interview expressing disappointment at ANGC for denying his request to play a private round at Augusta with three of his grandsons. But on Wednesday, moments before heading out to the arena at the Par 3 Contest, he had only positive feelings and “peace” toward the club.
“I got to know [President] Eisenhower, and to play golf with him. He had an aura, a charisma. It’s difficult to define. And to have him attached to this club, along with Bobby Jones, a gentlemen and incredible golfer—what a way to start.
“This place is special. It’s evolved faster than any other major. When I was a kid, you’d take a putt and pretend it was to win the Open. The Masters came later, but it’s truly an incredible place.
“It’s a part of me, this tournament.”
Masters numbers that might matter
14: Number of consecutive winners who entered the Masters ranking inside the top 25 of the Official World Golf Ranking. Charl Schwartzel, at No. 29 in 2011, was the last player outside the top-25 to win a jacket.
151: Number of consecutive weeks Scottie Scheffler has been ranked No. 1, since May 21, 2023. It’s the longest streak of any player outside of Tiger Woods, who had a streak of 281 weeks (2005 to '10) and 264 weeks ( 1999-2004)
7: Number of times the top-ranked player won the Masters. Ian Woosnam (1991), Fred Couples (’92) Tiger Woods (2001, ’02), Dustin Johnson (’20) and Scheffler (’22 and ’24) The OWGR began in 1986.
70: Forecasted high temperature for Thursday’s opening round
84: Forecasted high temperature for Sunday’s final round
More Masters coverage from Sports Illustrated
- 2026 Masters Predictions: Our Picks to Win the Green Jacket
- Keegan Bradley Was So Fired Up After Historic Hole-in-One at Masters Par 3 Contest
- Masters Chairman Takes Strongest Stance Yet on Pro Golf’s Battle Over Distance
- Jim Nantz Gives Jason Kelce Two Simple Pieces of Advice for Masters Coverage
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Gary Player’s Run-In With Clifford Roberts, More Masters Notes.
