Gary Player credits 'focus on fitness' for 'good health' on 78th birthday

Professional golfer Gary Player, who is widely regarded as South Africa's greatest ever sportsman celebrated his 78th birthday yesterday.

According to Sport24, Player has nine Major victories to his name - Masters (1961, 1974, 1978), US Open (1965), Open Championship (1959, 1968, 1974) and PGA Championship (1962, 1972).

He has 24 PGA Tour victories to his name, 73 on the Sunshine Tour and 19 on the Champions Tour, as well as 134 'other' wins on both the regular and senior tours, the report said.

Among his numerous honours, Player was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974, the report added.

Player will celebrate his birthday by adding to his over 25 million kilometres traveled in flying to China where he will help to raise money for AIDS orphans through the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola in Shanghai, the report further said.

He said that focusing on fitness and his health early on in his career had allowed him to still be strong at the age of 78, adding that he is fit, healthy and as long as he remains so, he would continue to travel and educate as many young people as he can.