"My game still leaves a lot to be desired," said Defending Champion Arnold Palmer on the eve of this year's Masters tournament. "And then, of course, there's Gary Player."
Going into the Masters, South Africa's short, swarthy Gary Player, 25, was the hottest golfer on the 1961 tournament circuit. Representing the Langhorne, Pa. Country Club, a place he has never seen, Player had entered twelve tournaments, placed in the money in all, and won two—including a taut, one-stroke victory over Palmer in the pre-Masters Sunshine Open. He began the Masters riding a streak of nine consecutive sub-70 rounds, and his confidence...
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